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LI  BRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

GIRT    OK 

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http://www.archive.org/details/analysisofletterOOtownrich 


ANALYSIS 


OP 


LETTER-WRITING 


A  LAKGE  NUMBEK  OF  EXAMPLES 


OF 


MODEL   BUSINESS   LETTERS, 


CALVIN    TOWNSEND, 

COUNSELLOR  AT  LAW, 

AUTHOR   OF   "analysis  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE  UNITED 
"analysis  OF  CIVIL  GOVERNMENT,"    "ANALYSIS  OF 
COMMERCIAL  LAW,"   ETC.,    ETC. 


PUBLISHED   BY  IVISON,  BLAKEMAN,  TAYLOR,  &  CO. 

NEW    YORK  AND   CHICAGO. 

1873. 


IJ." 


rtf^^l 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872, 

BY     CALVIN    TOWNSEND, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington, 


University  Prkss:  Welch,  Bigrlow,  &  Co., 

CAMnRIDGF. 


PREFACE. 


IjlOK  several  years  past  the  author  has  been  engaged  in  the 
Rochester  Business  University  as  lecturer  on  Commercial  Law, 
and  instructor  in  Business  Cowespondence.  His  method  of  pre- 
senting these  subjects  on  the  blackboard  is  peculiar.  The  favor 
with  which  his  work  on  Commercial  Law,  analytically  and  top- 
ically arranged,  published  in  1871,*  has  been  received  both  by 
business  colleges  and  the  legal  profession,  has  encouraged  him 
to  the  preparation  of  this  work  on  a  plan  similar  to  that. 

It  is  designed  chiefly  for  the  use  of  pupils  in  normal  and  high 
schools,  business  colleges,  the  advanced  classes  of  the  common 
schools,  and  especially  for  business  men,  and  young  persons  of 
both  sexes  preparing  for  business  Hfe.  It  is  hoped  it  will  be 
found  useful  also  to  teachers  and  instructors  of  every  grade. 

No  attempt,  so  far  as  the  author  is  aware,  has  hitherto  been 
made  to  teach  letter-writing  topically  and  analytically,  as  to  form 
or  matter,  in  the  schools  of  any  grade  in  this  country.  So  far  as 
his  knowledge  extends,  this  is  the  first  effort  of  the  kind  in  that 
direction.  He  has  long  felt  the  want  of  a  good  text-book  for  the 
use  of  his  own  classes. 

*  Published  by  Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor,  &  Co.,  New  York. 


iv  PREFACE. 

This  little  volume  makes  no  pretensions  to  teaching  the  pupil 
how  to  compose  a  letter.  That  can  hardly  be  done  by  itself,  either 
as  an  art  or  as  a  science.  But  all  the  arts  and  all  the  sciences 
contribute  to  that  end. 

To  give  a  finished  literary  character  to  a  letter  requires  superior 
literary  qualifications  on  the  part  of  the  writer.  These  cannot  be 
acquired  through  the  study  of  this  or  any  other  work  on  letter- 
writing.  They  are  the  fruits  of  broad  culture  in  all  departments 
of  learning.  The  ability,  therefore,  to  write  a  scholarly  letter 
implies  that  the  writer  is  a  person  of  scholarly  attainments. 

But  literary  culture  does  not  always  enable  one  to  give  the 
proper  details  of  mechanical  arrangement  to  a  letter.  It  may 
have  all  the  literary  poHsh  and  rhetorical  finish  that  might  be 
expected  from  the  pen  of  a  Milton,  an  Addison,  or  a  Chesterfield, 
yet  the  manuscript  may  present  a  very  uncouth  and  shabby 
appearance.  Were  it  to  fortunately  fall  into  the  hands  of  a 
printer  who  was  master  of  his  art,  on  him  would  devolve  the 
labor  of  correcting  all  its  mechanical  blunders,  and  of  bringing 
order  out  of  chaos.  Many  a  printer  has  saved,  or  at  least  pro- 
tected, the  reputation  of  an  author. 

The  manuscript  letters  of  not  a  few  of  the  most  gifted  literary 
characters  would,  in  mechanical  arrangement,  be  a  discredit  to  an 
ordinary  schoolboy  or  merchant's  clerk  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
of  age.  Thousands  of  letters  are  written  every  day,  faultless  in 
composition,  but  abounding  with  errors  in  mechanical  detail. 
They  read  well  to  the  ear,  but  are  horrid  deformities  to  the  eye. 

Few,  indeed,  of  the  letters  of  our  best  business  men,  taken  just 
as  they  are  written,  are  fit  for  the  press.     Their  authors  would  be 


PREFACE.  y 

ashamed  of  them,  were  they  to  be  published,  perchance,  with  all 
their  errors.  The  composition  may  be  excellent,  —  perhaps  not 
a  word  need  be  omitted  or  added,  —  the  penmansliip  may  be  good, 
but  the  entire  appearance  and  dress  are  faulty  in  the  extreme. 
And  the  faults  are  purely  of  a  mechanical  character,  and  such  as 
any  schoolboy  could  learn  in  a  few  hours  to  avoid. 
i'  This  work  is  intended  as  a  correct  guide  in  the  matter  of  me- 

chanical detail,  and  in  the  combinations  of  th6  parts  of  a  letter, 
whether,  in  its  composition,  it  be  a  good  one  or  a  poor  one.  This 
is  its  chief  end  and  aim. 

If  the  student  will  attentively  study  it,  he  will  readily  learn  to 
avoid  all  that  class  of  common  errors  in  letter- writing.  It  will 
cost  him  the  labor  of  but  a  few  lessons  at  most. 


DIEECTIONS  TO  THE  TEACHER 

XN  teaching  according  to  the  plan  of  this  work,  the  blackboard 
and  slate  must  be  brought  into  constant  use.  It  will  be  idle 
to  attempt  to  teach  this  subject,  as  herein  arranged,  without  them. 
With  them,  that  pupil  who  can  write  a  tolerably  fair  hand  must 
be  dull  indeed  that  cannot  learn  perfectly  in  a  few  lessons  how 
to  give  to  a  letter  its  proper  mechanical  form,  dress,  and  features. 
A  little  careful  blackboard  practice,  following  the  models  and  ex- 
amples, will  be  found  to  be  all  that  is  necessary.  The  author, 
therefore,  hopes  the  teacher  will  not  attempt  to  use  this  work 
without  the  blackboard. 


CONTENTS 


PART    I. 

STRUCTURE  OF  A  LETTER. 

PA0B 

INTRODUCTION 3 

CHAPTER    I. 

THINGS    TO   BE   OBSERVED. 
SECTION 

I.  Materials. 

Paper;  Size,  Quality,  Color.    Pen :  Quill,  Gold,  Steel.    Envelope: 

Quality,  Size,  Shape,  Color.     Ink 5-11 

II.  Penmanship. 

Legibility.  Uniformity :  Capital  Letters,  Small  Letters,  Slope,  Fin- 
ish. Spaces.  Directions  to  the  Teacher.  Key  to  the  Diagram. 
Diagram  of  the  Structure  of  a  Letter 1 1  -  28 

III.  Heading  or  Date. 

Position.     Items.     Punctuation 28-34 

IV.  Left  Margin. 

Diagram  of  Guide-Line 36 

V.  Address. 

Position.  Names  and  Additions.  Punctuation.  Examples  of  Punc- 
tuation     37-50 

VI.  Body  of  the  Letter. 

Where  to  begin.     Para^mjo^s ;  When  to  be  used,  Where  to  begin       50-55 
VII.  Conclusion. 

Position.     Language.     Signature.     Punctuation        .         .        .         .55-60 
VIIL  Folding. 

From  the  Bottom.     Right  to  Lejl.     Lefi  to  Right   .         .         .         .         60-62 

IX.  Insertion 62-63 

X.  Superscription. 

Position.     Items.     Legibility.     Punctuation 63-73 

XI.  Postage-Stamp 73-75 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK    II. 

THINGS   TO   BE   AVOIDED. 
SECTION 

I.  Inexcusable  Blemishes. 

Interlineations:  Of  Words,  Of  Letters.  Blots.  Flourishes.  Cross- 
Lines.  Underlinings.  Erasures.  Postscripts.  The  Character  Sf. 
Figures  for  Words.    Lead-Pencil  Writing 76-89 

PAET    II. 

LITERATURE  OF  A  LETTER. 
INTRODUCTION .       .93-95 

CHAPTER    I. 

THINGS   TO   BE   OBSERVED. 

I.  Capital  Letters. 

Paragraphs.  Sentences.  Poetry.  Names:  Of  Persons,  Of  Places, 
Geographical.  Initials:  Names  of  Persons,  Names  of  Places, 
Literary  Titles,  Abbreviations.  Titles.  Proper  Adjectives.  Heaven. 
Supreme  Being.  Direct  Quotation.  Titles  of  Books :  '^ouns,  Yerhs, 
Adjectives.     Titles  of  Essays  ;  Names  of  Newspapers.     Pronoun  1. 

Interjection  O.     Days  of  Week.     Months 96-99 

II.  Punctuation. 

Period.     Colon.     Semicolon      Comma.    Interrogation,    Exclamation. 

Dash.     Parentheses.     Quotation.     Hyphen        ,         .        .        ,100-107 
III.  Literary  Items. 

Arrangement  of  Items.     Spelling.     Grammatical  Accuracy.    Brevity. 

Style.    Short  Sentences.    Abbreviations 108-118 

CHAPTER    II. 

Things  to  be  Avoided. 

Bombast.     Slang  Words.     Foreign  Words  and  Phrases.     Tautology : 

Of  Meaning,  Of  Words.    Parentheses 119-127 

GENERAL  EXERCISES. 

Directions  to  the  Teacher 128-139 

APPENDIX 141-170 

VOCABULARY  AND  MERCANTILE   TERMS        .        .        .         171-180 

ABBREVIATIONS  AND   CHARACTERS 180,  181 


PAET   FIRST. 

STETJOTimE  OE  A  UETTEE. 


ANALYSIS  OF  LETTER- WEITING. 


INTEODUCTION. 

AS  the  phrase  is  here  used,  the  structure  of  a  letter  means  sim- 
ply the  mechanical  form  and  arrangement  of  its  several  parts. 
It  has  no  reference  to  the  literary  character  or  subject-matter. 

Every  business  man  knows  that  the  structure  of  a  letter  may 
be  such  as  to  present  to  the  eye  a  pleasing  appearance,  though 
it  be  wholly  destitute  of  grammatical  or  rhetorical  merit.  The 
letter  may  have  such  a  faultless  mechanical  form  and  dress  that 
it  will  make  a  favorable  impression  upon  the  mind  of  the  reader 
at  a  glance.  Even  if  the  handwriting  is  clumsy  to  an  extreme, 
and  according  to  no  approved  system  of  penmanship,  it  may 
exhibit  skill  of  arrangement,  and  apparent  experience  in  letter- 
writing  as  an  art,  which  is  most  acceptable  to  the  business  man. 

The  man  of  business  usually  has  what  is  called  a  business  air ; 
so  the  business  letter  may  have  an  air  of  neatness  and  finish, 
depending  on  no  one,  but  many,  little  things.  Any  one  of  these 
little  things  can  be  easily  taught,  and  easily  learned,  so  that  all 
the  necessary  parts  may  be  mastered  without  difficulty.  First 
learn  perfectly  the  several  parts,  one  by  one,  and  then  the  com- 
binations can  easily  be  made. 

The  structure  of  a  letter  can  be  as  easily  taught  as  the  rudi- 
ments of  drawing  or  penmanship.  One  who  can  write  a  promis- 
sory note,  or  even  his  own  name,  legibly,  can  learn  in  a  very 
short  time  to  construct  a  letter,  in  the  mechanical  sense  of  the 
word,  so  that  it  shall  be  liable  to  no  just  criticism,  except,  per- 
haps, in  regard  to  the  handwriting.  Indeed,  this  is  the  only 
difficult  thing  about  the  structure  of  a  letter ;  while  it  really  con- 


4  QUESTIONS  ON  THE  INTRODUCTION.  [Part  I. 

tributes  about  as  little,  perhaps,  to  the  dress  of  it  as  any  one  of 
a  dozen  things  that  require  no  labor  at  all ;  simply  attention. 

For  want  of  a  few  little  things  to  be  observed  or  omitted,  a 
letter  of  unexceptionable  style  of  language  is  often  most  repulsive 
in  appearance.  It  seems  to  have  been  written  by  one  who  has 
no  mechanical  taste,  and  no  proper  ideas  of  order. 

Moreover,  the  chirography  may  be  elegant  beyond  criticism; 
but,  somehow  or  other,  the  lines  seem  to  be  pitched  together,  as 
though  the  writer  were  fully  resolved  to  make  good  penmanship 
look  as  bad  as  possible.  A  lady  may  be  clothed  in  expensive 
costume,  yet  not  be  elegantly  dressed.  Each  article  by  itself 
may  be  faultless,  but  the  combination  hideous  in  the  extreme. 
So  each  part  of  a  letter,  standing  by  itself,  may  be  well  done, 
but,  taken  together,  it  seems  a  collection  of  mere  patchwork. 
The  better  the  hand>;vTiting  of  such  a  letter,  the  worse  the  sheet 
appears  to  the  eye  of  cultivated  taste. 

In  treating  of  the  structure  of  a  letter,  it  will  be  convenient 
to  divide  the  subject  into  two  chapters,  —  the  first  embracing 
Things  to  he  observed,  and  the  second.  Things  to  he  avoided. 

QUESTIONS  ON  THE  INTRODUCTION. 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  structure  of  a  letter? 

2.  What  does  every  business  man  know  about  it? 

3.  Wliat  impression  does  a  letter,  faultless  in  structure,  produce  on  the 
mind  of  the  reader? 

4.  What  is  the  effect  of  skill  in  arrangement? 

6.  "What  kind  of  an  air  should  a  business  letter  present? 

6.  On  what  does  this  depend  ? 

7.  What  should  be  first  learned? 

8.  What  is  said  about  learning  the  several  parts? 

9.  Wliat  is  the  most  difficult  thing  to  learn? 

10.  How  much,  comparatively,  does  this  add  to  the  dress  of  a  letter? 

1 1 .  Wliat  makes  some  letters  repulsive  in  appearance  ? 

12.  How  may  a  letter  look,  though  in  a  good  handwriting? 

13.  Why  is  this  so? 

14.  When  may  a  good  handwriting  add  to  the  bad  appearance  of  a  letter? 

15.  Into  how  many  chapters  is  the  structure  of  a  letter  divided? 

16.  What  does  the  first  embrace? 

17.  What  does  the  second? 


Chap.  I.] 


SELECTION  OF  MATERIALS. 


CHAPTEE   I. 


THINGS  TO   BE  OBSERVED. 


THE  student  should  be  required,  without  the  aid  of  the  book, 
to  place  all  tables  on  the  hlackhoard,  and  to  briefly  explain 
them  himself,  before  the  teacher  gives  his  lecture  or  makes  his 
remarks.  If  the  student  does  not  possess  confidence  sufiicient 
to  give  the  explanations,  the  teacher  can  aid  him  a  little  at  first 
by  asking  the  questions  appended  hereto,  or  any  others  that  may 
suggest  themselves  to  his  mind. 


1.  Materials. 


BLACKBOARD  EXERCISE. 

( 1.  Size.      . 

1.  Paper.    .    .    .  j  2.  Quality. 

(  3.  Color. 
1.  QuUl. 

2.  Pen ^2.  Gold. 

3.  Steel. 

1.  Quality. 

2.  Size. 

3.  Shape. 

4.  Color.    . 


3.  Envelope. 


;i.  Length. 
;  2.  Width. 


1.  Length. 

2.  Width. 

1.  White. 

2.  Buff. 


4.  Ink. 


SECTION    I. 

MATERIALS. 

The  first,  and  one  of  the  most  important  things  to  be  observed 
in  the  structure  of  a  letter  is,  to  secure  the  proper  materials  for 
that  purpose.  To  make  the  subject  plain,  the  foregoing  analysis 
has  been  presented  for  your  exercise  on  the  blackboard. 

Every  one  who  has  had  any  practice  in  letter-writing  knows 
that  good  materials  are  essential  to  the  proper  structure  of  a 


6  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

letter.  The  writer's  work  may  be  spoiled  in  appearance  for  the 
want  of  good  paper,  a  good  pen,  good  ink,  and  a  suitable  en- 
velope. You  cannot  do  your  very  best  work  on  a  letter  —  and 
you  should  always  do  your  best  —  without  all  these.  The  best 
is  the  cheapest,  all  things  considered. 

1.  PAPER.  —  In  regard  to  paper,  the  subject  is  divided  into 
1.  Size;  2.  Quality;  3.  Color. 

1«  Size. — For  a  business  letter  of  any  importance,  especially  if 
it  is  a  long  one,  the  full-sized  letter  sheet  is  generally  preferable. 
A  commercial  note  sheet  may  properly  be  used  for  a  short  business 
letter  of  no  special  importance,  and  one  which  it  may  not  be 
necessary  to  file  for  future  reference.  But  most  merchants  and 
business  men,  it  is  believed,  prefer  the  sheet  of  letter  size.  Never 
use  cap  paper  for  this  purpose.  It  is  awkward,  clumsy,  and 
vulgar. 

1.  Length. — The  length  of  the  full-sized  business  letter  sheet  is 
about  ten  inches.  Some  are  a  little  longer ;  but  this  is  not  far 
from  the  usual  length. 

2.  Width.  —  The  width  corresponding  to  this  length  is  about 
eight  inches.  The  size  of  the  paper,  however,  whether  letter  or 
note,  should  be  adapted  to  the  size  of  the  envelope  to  be  used. 

2.  Quality.  — Wliile  paper  is  as  cheap  as  it  is  at  present,  there 
can  be  no  good  excuse  for  using  a  poor  article.  Get  the  very 
best,  and  no  other  on  any  account  whatever;  and  for  the  sake 
of  economy,  buy  by  the  quarter,  half,  or  whole  ream. 

It  is  difficult  enough,  if  you  have  had  but  little  experience  in 
the  business,  to  give  your  letter  the  desirable  appearance  even 
with  the  best  materials,  and  without  good  paper  a  failure  is 
certain. 

Good  paper  will  generally  inspire  more  care  in  your  work, 
and  more  of  a  painstaking  disposition  than  a  poor  article.  We 
are  always  more  careful  with  "a  good  material  than  with  a  poor 
one.  A  tailor  will  do  his  part  of  a  garment  better,  even  at  the 
same  price,  if  his  customer  furnishes  good  fine  cloth  for  the  job. 
A  jeweler  will  be  more  careful  of  a  fine  watch  or  bracelet  than 
of  a  coarse  one. 


Chap.  I.]  SELECTION  OF  MATERIALS.  7 

Thick,  heavy  paper  is  not  always,  nor  generally,  the  best  for 
letter-writing.  It  should  have  a  smooth  surface,  and  be  fine  and 
flexible.  Some  prefer  a  glazed,  others  a  cold-pressed,  dead  sur- 
face.    Take  your  choice. 

3.  Color.  —  White  paper,  or  that  which  is  very  slightly  tinged 
with  blue,  should  be  used  for  business  letters.  JSTo  one  but  a  fop 
or  dandy  will  use  any  other  color.  Ladies  may,  perhaps,  indulge 
their  taste  in  the  use  of  tinted,  or  even  perfumed  paper,  if  they 
like,  in  their  social  correspondence ;  but  the  gi-avity  of  business 
is  quite  inconsistent  with  such  childish  display.  A  solid  mer- 
chant or  business  man  would  probably  reject  an  application  for  a 
situation,  even  if  he  deigned  to  answer  it  at  all,  were  it  written 
on  scented  and  tinted  paper. 

2.  PEN.  —  This  is  made  of  the  goose-quill,  or  of  gold  or  steel. 

1.  Quill.  —  The  old-fashioned  goose-quill  pen  has  so  nearly  gone 
out  of  use  that  nothing  need  be  said  about  it  here.  It  is  pre- 
ferred, however,  by  some  writing-masters  for  some  particular 
branches  of  ornamental  penmanship ;  and  once  in  a  while  you 
may  find  an  old  gentleman -who  will  use  no  other  kind  of  pen. 
But  the  goose-quill  pen  is  nearly  forgotten. 

2.  Gold.  —  The  gold  pen  is  by  far  the  most  durable,  —  lasting, 
as  it  does,  by  careful  usage,  almost  a  lifetime.  It  is  preferred  to 
any  other  by  many  professional  bookkeepers.  Wlien  the  writer 
has  once  become  accustomed  to  his  favorite  gold  pen,  he  can  write 
with  almost  absolute  uniformity.  The  chief  objection  to  it  is  its 
cost;  though  writing-masters  claim  that  it  is  not  equal  to  the 
steel  pen  in  its  capacity  to  make  the  fine  hair  marks.  But  these 
are  not  very  essential  to  the  good  appearance  of  the  business  letter, 
especially  not  in  any  such  degree  as  in  ornamental  penmanship. 

3.  Steel.  —  The  steel  pen  is  now  in  almost  universal  use  in  this 
country.  It  is  manufactured  in  great  variety  and  perfection. 
The  expense  is  but  trifling,  as  a  box  containing  a  quarter  of  a 
gross,  three  dozens,  can  be  obtained  at  almost  any  stationer's  for 
fifty  or  seventy-five  cents,  —  only  a  cent  or  two  each,  at  the 
highest  prices. 

By  trial  you  can  ascertain  the  kind,  size,  and  quality  best 


8  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Paxt  I. 

adapted  to  your  hand,  —  the  breadth  of  nib,  the  flexibility,  and 
fineness  required. 

Steel  pens  are  known  by  letters,  as  A,  B,  C,  etc.,  or  by  num- 
bers. When  you  have  ascertained  the  letter  or  number  best 
suited  to  your  hand,  you  can,  of  course,  order  accordingly. 

Some  persons  must  have  a  much  larger,  heavier,  stronger  pen 
than  others.  One  manufacturer's  pen  may  not  suit  your  hand  at 
all,  while  for  another  person  he  makes  just  the  pen  wanted. 

3.  ENVELOPE.  —  A  few  years  ago  envelopes  were  very  rarely 
used.  But  now  scarcely  a  letter  is  mailed  that  is  not  inclosed  in 
an  envelope.     In  selecting  them,  a  few  things  should  be  observed. 

1 .  Quality.  —  As  in  making  your  selections  of  paper,  get  the  best. 
The  difference  in  cost  between  a  good  and  a  poor  envelope  is  not 
worthy  of  a  moment's  thought.  For  safety  in  the  transmission 
of  your  letter  through  the  mail,  it  should  be  of  firm,  strong  mate- 
rial Thin,  flimsy,  porous  envelopes  often  become  mutilated 
through  the  rough  fare  of  the  mail-bags,  especially  when  sent  a 
great  distance. 

2.  Size.  —  The  size  of  the  envelope  should  correspond  to  the  size 
and  shape  of  the  sheet  to  be  inclosed. 

1.  Length.  —  If  you  use  commercial  note  paper  for  your  letter, 
the  length  of  the  envelope  should  exceed  the  width  of  the  note 
sheet  by  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  so  that,  when  the  letter  is 
inserted,  there  shall  be  but  little,  if  any,  perceptible  vacant  space 
.about  the  edges. 

If  letter  size  is  used,  which  is  generally  preferable,  the  length 
of  the  envelope  should  exceed  by  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  one 
half  the  length  of  the  sheet  of  paper. 

2.  Width.  —  The  width  of  the  envelope  should  be  a  little  over 
one  half  its  length ;  say,  as  three  is  to  five  and  a  half ;  about  three 
inches  by  five  and  a  half,  or  in  that  proportion.  This  is  one  of 
the  regular  forms  for  ordinary  business  envelopes. 

3«  Shape.  —  The  shape  of  the  envelope  should  be  oblong,  as 
already  defined;  the  corners,  right  angles.  Avoid  the  use  of 
envelopes  of  irregular  and  fancy  shape,  such  as  have  two  obtuse 
and  two  acute  angles,  or  of  triangular  form.     They  are  unbusi- 


Chap.  L]  SELECTION  OF  MATERIALS.  9 

ness-like,  and  necessitate  irregularity  in  folding  the  letter  to  be 
inclosed.  Their  use  stamps  the  writer  with  dandyism  and  fop- 
pishness, not  to  say  puerility. 

4«  Color.  —  No  fancy-colored  envelopes  are  suitable  for  business 
letters.  To  the  business  man  they  are  offensive,  if  not  disgust- 
ing. A  few  years  since  a  veteran  Boston  merchant  declined  to 
comply  with  an  order  for  goods,  or  to  open  negotiations  on  the 
subject,  for  no  reason  only  that  the  order  was  inclosed  in  a  pink- 
colored  envelope.  Perhaps  this  was  extra  fastidiousness.  He 
professed  to  read  character  through  small  things;  and  he  said, 
that  no  man  that  was  a  man  and  had  a  business  mind  would  do 
such  a  foolish,  childish  thing. 

The  color  of  the  business  envelope  should  be  pure  white,  or 
huff.  Light  buflp  is  preferable  to  the  deeper  and  more  positive 
shades.  The  best  usage  sanctions  either  of  these  colors,  and  these 
only.     Either  may  be  used  according  to  your  choice. 

4.  INK. — But,  no  matter  how  good  your  paper,  pen,  and  envelope 
may  be,  if  you  write  with  poor  ink,  you  will  be  certain  to  spoil 
your  letter.  A  letter  can  never  make  an  acceptable  appearance 
written  with  anything  but  the  best  of  ink.  It  should  be  selected 
with  the  greatest  care,  and  with  reference  to  its  complexion  and 
generous  flow  from  the  pen.  It  should  be  positively  dark  — 
nearly  black  —  and  free  from  sediment,  so  that  the  flow  wiU  be 
uniform ;  not  leaving  an  occasional  blot  among  the  heavy  strokes. 
Who  has  not  puzzled  his  eyes  and  taxed  his  patience  in  the  effort 
to  decipher  a  letter  written  with  pale  ink,  filled  with  sediment  ? 
The  writer  of  a  letter  does  himself  injustice  in  the  use  of  such 
ink,  and  needlessly  inflicts  an  unpleasant  task  on  his  reader.  The 
sediment  gives  an  appearance  of  two  or  more  kinds  of  ink  hav- 
ing been  used  in  the  same  line  or  word,  and  marks  the  author 
for  carelessness. 

Said  an  old,  experienced  bookkeeper,  "I  must  have  ink  that 
makes  the  pen  talk  ;  that  makes  it  speak  for  itself,  and  with  uni- 
form tone.  I  want  the  writing  to  look  just  the  same  the  moment 
the  ink  is  put  on,  as  it  will  ten  years  afterwards.  I  cannot  bear 
to  wait  a  few  hours  to  see  what  I  have  written." 
1* 


10  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

Nearly  all  good  ink,  however,  will  become  more  positive  in 
complexion  a  few  hours  after  being  applied.  But  none  should  be 
used  that  does  not  afford  a  feeling  of  satisfaction,  the  moment  it 
is  put  on,  that  you  have  done  what  you  intended.  Pale  ink  is 
insipid,  —  almost  abominable. 

A  little  Enghsh  work,  called  the  "  Model  Letter-Writer,"  says, 
"  It  is  a  good  plan  to  keep  a  common  nail  in  the  inkstand.  It  must 
be  free  from  rust  when  put  in,  so  that  the  action  of  the  acid  in 
the  ink  may  be  expended  on  it.  The  ink  will  not  then  destroy 
the  pens  so  much." 

Never  leave  the  pen  in  the  ink  after  writing ;  wipe  it  carefully, 
and  it  will  keep  pleasant  for  use,  and  last  twice  as  long. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  L 
Section  I.  —  Materials, 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  chapter? 

2.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

3.  What  kind  of  materials  is  necessary? 

4.  ^VTiatis  the  blackboard  exercise  presented  for? 

5.  How  may  the  work  of  a  letter  be  spoiled  ? 

6.  What  should  you  always  do  in  letter- writing? 

7.  Which  are  the  cheapest  materials  ? 

8.  Which  is  the  first  of  these? 

9.  "W^iat  are  the  divisions  in  regard  to  paper? 

10.  What  quality  of  paper  should  you  use? 

11.  In  what  quantity  should  you  buy  it  ? 

12.  What  is  the  result  of  poor  materials  ? 

13.  How  does  good  paper  affect  the  writer? 

14.  What  are  we  always  most  careful  of? 

15.  What  is  said  of  the  tailor  and  jeweler? 

16.  What,  about  the  surface  of  paper? 

17.  What  sized  sheet  is  generally  preferable  for  business  letters? 

18.  What  size  do  business  men  prefer? 

19.  What  is  generally  the  length? 

20.  What,  the  width? 

21.  ^'liat  color  should  be  used  ? 

22.  What  kinds  of  pens  are  used? 

23.  AVlio  prefer  the  quill? 

24.  What  are  the  advantages  of  a  gold  pen? 

25.  What,  of  a  steel  pen  ? 


Chap.  L] 


PENMANSHIP. 


11 


26.  How  should  you  select  your  pen? 

27.  How  are  steel  pens  known  ? 

28.  What  is  the  need  of  a  variety  of  pens  ? 

29.  How  long  have  envelopes  been  used? 

30.  AVliat  kind  should  you  get  ? 

31.  Why  not  use  a  cheap  article? 

32.  What  should  the  size  correspond  to? 

33.  In  using  note  paper,  what  should  be  the  length  of  the  envelope? 

34.  What,  in  using  letter  paper? 

35.  What  should  be  the  width  compared  with  the  length? 

36.  What,  its  shape? 

37.  What  is  said  of  irregular  shapes? 

38.  W^hat,  of  the  color  of  a  business  envelope? 

39.  How  did  the  Boston  merchant  like  a  pink  envelope  ? 

40.  A^liat  is  said  about  ink  ? 

4 1 .  What  two  qualities  are  essential  ? 

42.  What  color  is  preferable? 

43.  Why  is  sediment  objectionable? 

44.  What  did  the  old  bookkeeper  say? 

45.  What  is  said  of  pale  ink? 

46.  ^Tiat,  of  leaving  your  pen  in  the  ink  ? 


BLACKBOARD  EXERCISE. 

fl.  Legibility. 

1.  Capitals. 


2.  Penmanship. 


2.  Uniformity. 


3.  Spaces. 


1.  Minimum. 
2.  Small  Letters.  \  2.  Extended  Loop. 
3,  Extended  Stem. 


3.  Slope. 

4.  Finish. 


(1.  Dottir 
2.  Crossi 
3.  Loop. 


1.  Dotting  the  t. 
Crossing  the  L 
Loop. 


SECTION    II. 

PENMANSHIP. 


With  good  materials  for  the  execution  of  the  work  there  is  no 
reason  why  any  man  or  woman  having  one  healthy  hand  and  one 
eye  that  can  see  should  not  be  able,  by  a  reasonable  amount  of 
practice  and  painstaking,  to  write  a  hand  that  will  not  be  particu- 


12  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

larly  objectionable.  Culpable  indifference,  laziness,  or,  to  speak  a 
little  more  mildly,  indolence  and  downright  carelessness,  according 
to  the  uniform  testimony  of  all  experienced  teachers  of  penman- 
ship, are,  in  nineteen  cases  out  of  twenty,  the  only  obstacles  in 
tlie  way  of  a  good,  fair,  legible  handwriting. 

A  little  earnestness,  industry,  carefulness,  and  perseverance 
will  overcome  all  difficulties.  Elegant  penmanship  is  not  the 
subject  here  proposed ;  but  a  good,  readable,  business  handwiiting. 

In  accomplishing  this,  three  essential  particulars  must  be  ob- 
served. The  writing-master  will  tell  you  of  many  more,  but  all 
his  minutiae  of  instruction  will  be  covered  by  these  three  heads, 
—  Legibility,  Uniformity,  and  Spaces. 

1.  LEGIBILITY. — Were  it  necessary,  everything  else  should  be 
sacrificed  to  Legibility.  Every  teacher  knows  that  children  just 
beginnmg  to  write,  make  much  plainer  work  than  the  more  ad- 
vanced pupils.  Indeed,  their  whole  aim  is  to  so  form  their  letters 
that  they  can  be  read.  They  do  not  seem  to  think  of  anything 
else ;  especially  when  their  efforts  are  entirely  voluntary,  unaided 
by  the  teacher.  This  demonstrates  that  it  is  nonsense  to  contend, 
as  many  persons  do,  that  they  could  never  learn  to  write  a  legible 
hand. 

There  are  those  who,  from  mere  snobbishness,  affect  to  despise 
legibility,  and  who  even  boast  that  nobody  can  read  what  they 
write  without  a  severe  test  of  patience.  They  have  heard  that 
such  and  such  a  distinguished  man  wrote  a  miserable,  tangled 
scrawl  that  nobody  could  read,  —  not  even  the  writer  himself, 
after  the  ink  was  dry,  —  and  they  seem  to  fancy  that  if  they  can 
exhibit  the  same  ridiculous  and  barbarous  peculiarity,  they  estab- 
lish that  they  too  are  great. 

This  is  a  kind  of  apishness  that  is  insipid  in  the  extreme,  not 
to  say  idiotic.  Perhaps  it  is  of  little  consequence,  however, 
whether  such  attempts  at  imitation  of  bad  examples  succeed  or 
not,  as  the  silly  imitator  will  hardly  be  likely  to  ever  write  any- 
thing worth  reading.  It  is  coveting  blemishes  and  deformities, 
because  some  great  man  has  them.  It  would  be  just  as  sensible 
for  the  poetic  aspirant  to  desire  a  club  foot  because  Lord  Byron 
had  one. 


Chap.  L]  PENMANSHIP.  13 

Through  all  the  years  of  your  pupilage,  and  for  years  after  its 
close,  it  should  be  your  aim  to  write  with  such  legibility  that  not 
one  word  can  be  mistaken  for  another,  nor  one  letter  of  a  word 
for  another.  Do  not  impose  the  necessity  upon  the  person  with 
whom  you  have  business  relations  and  correspondence,  of  making 
fruitless  efforts  to  decipher  your  awkward  hieroglyphics,  until  his 
patience  shall  be  completely  exhausted.  Such  scrawls  are  utterly 
inexcusable,  and  may  reasonably  provoke  resentment.  Lord 
Palmerston  said,  "  People  have  no  business  to  save  their  own  time 
at  the  expense  of  mine." 

A  merchant  in  Baltimore,  who  probably  believed  in  imitating 
some  great  man's  horrid  chirography,  wrote  an  order  to  a  New 
Orleans  business  house,  asking  them  to  send  him  by  express  one 
hundred  boxes  of  collars.  He  was  greatly  surprised  and  chagrined 
at  receiving  in  a  few  days  one  hundred  bales  of  cotton.  He  pro- 
tested that  he  gave  no  order  for  bales  of  cotton,  and  resisted  pay- 
ment. But,  in  a  lawsuit  brought  to  recover,  he  lost  his  case ; 
for  neither  bench,  bar,  witness,  nor  jury  could  make  anything  of 
it  but  an  order  for  cotton. 

A  merchant  wrote  to  the  Indies  for  a  lot  of  mangoes.  He  re- 
ceived by  return  ship  a  fine  lot  of  monkeys. 

A  wine  merchant  on  the  Hudson  Eiver  sent  an  order  to  New 
York  for  three  barrels  of  beer.  He  received  by  first  steamer  a 
lai'ge  black  bear,  with  the  assurance  that  the  other  two  should  be 
forthcoming  as  soon  as  the  cubs  were  old  enough  to  leave  their 
mother. 

The  sermon  of  a  clergyman  who  was  careless  in  his  penman- 
ship was  in  the  hands  of  the  printer.  In  the  document  was  this 
passage :  "  JVo  cross,  no  crown."  But  the  printer  read  it  and  printed 
it,  "  JVo  cow,  no  cream.'' 

The  legibility  of  writing  is  sometimes  spoiled  by  making  the 
letters  too  small  A  very  fine,  dehcate  hand  detracts  very  much 
from  the  business  appearance  of  your  letter.  Besides,  the  words 
and  parts  of  words  will  be  less  likely  to  be  made  perfectly  if  the 
hand  is  very  small  and  delicate.  The  character  of  such  penman- 
ship is  merely  negative  ;  that  is,  there  is  no  character  to  it.  Of 
course  it  is  less  easily  read  than  a  bolder  hand.     Ladies  seldom 


14  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

write  a  good  business  hand,  because  they  make  their  letters  too 
small.  On  this  account,  they  do  not  easily  obtain  positions 
requiring  a  bold  business  hand. 

2.  UNIFORMITY.  — Under  this  head  may  properly  be  included 
Capital  Letters,  Small  Letters,  Slope,  and  Finish. 

1.  Capital  Letters. — The  proper  distribution  of  capital  letters  will 
not  be  considered  in  this  place.  That  subject  may  be  found 
farther  on. 

Capitals  should  be  written  of  uniform  size,  —  that  is,  the  same 
letters.  Not  that  /,  for  instance,  should  occupy  as  much  space  as 
W  OT  M;  but  one  of  these  letters  should  occupy  the  same 
space  in  one  part  of  your  letter  as  in  another. 

Again,  those  capitals  that  are  projected  below  the  line,  such  as 
J,  Z,  and  Y,  should  be  uniform  in  the  length  of  that  projection. 
The  height  above  the  line  should  also  be  uniform  with  all  capitals, 
whether  they  reach  below  or  not.  No  capital  should  be  longer  or 
shorter  above  the  line  than  the  others.  Should  your  address  be 
Dear  Sir,  for  instance,  do  not  make  the  capitals  D  and  S  any 
larger  there  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  letter,  if  you  have  occa- 
sion to  use  them  again.  An  exception  is,  perhaps,  allowable  in 
the  case  of  capitals  used  for  the  heading  and  signature,  they  being 
somewhat  detached  from  the  main  body  of  the  letter. 

But  in  no  case  should  your  capitals  interfere  or  blend  with  the 
writing  on  the  line  above  or  below  them.  Hence  all  flourishes, 
requiring  extra  space,  are  to  be  carefully  avoided.  In  a  letter,  at 
best,  they  are  conspicuous  deformities. 

2.  Small  Letters.  —  The  small  letters  are  divisible  into  three 
classes,  —  the  Minimum,  the  Extended  Loop,  and  the  Extended 
Stem.  They  are  not,  except  as  classes,  of  uniform  length  above 
or  below  the  line. 

1.  Minimum.  —  The  minimum  letter  is  of  the  smallest  class, 
and  may  be  used  as  a  measure  for  the  others.  This  class  includes 
a,  c,  e,  i,  m,  n,  o,  u,  v,  w,  and  x.  All  minimum  letters  should  be 
made  to  exactly  correspond  in  length  with  the  i  or  u.  Extend 
them  to  the  same  height,  precisely,  as  these  two  letters.  By  a 
little  practice  you  will  be  able  to  reach  perfection  in  the  length 


Chap.  L]  PENMANSHIP.  15 

of  this  class  of  letters.     The  letters  r  and  s  extend  one  fourth 
higher  than  the  minimum  letters. 

2.  Extended  Loop.  —  The  extended  loop  letters  are  h,  f,  g,  h,  j,  k, 
I,  y,  and  z.  They  are  called  extended  loop  letters  because  they 
extend  above  or  below  the  minimum  letters,  and  are  made  with  a 
loop. 

The  professional  penman's  rule  is  to  extend  these  letters  above 
or  below  the  line  on  which  you  write,  so  as  to  make  them  just 
three  times  the  length  of  the  minimum  letters.  They  should 
correspond  precisely  to  the  length  of  the  capitals  above  or  below 
the  line,  as  the  case  may  be. 

3.  Extended  Stem.  —  The  extended  stem  letters  are  d,  p,  q,  and 
t.  They  should  extend  above  or  below  the  line  of  writing,  twice 
the  distance  of  the  minimum  letters,  with  the  exception  of  p. 
That  letter  should  extend  above  the  line  but  once  and  a  half  the 
length  of  the  i ;  below  the  line  the  same  as  the  other  stems. 

3.  Slope.  —  Some,  especially  left-handed  persons,  prefer  to  slope 
their  letters  to  the  left,  forming  what  is  called  the  Italian  or  back 
hand,  thus,  eyta.Cui.rx,  ftoa^.  But  this  is  a  perplexing  hand  to  read, 
unless  every  letter  is  made  with  perfect  distinctness.  Others 
write  nearly  perpendicular  to  the  line  of  writing.  Generally, 
however,  the  slope  to  the  right,  at  an  angle  of  about  fifty  degrees, 
a  little  more  or  less,  is  preferred  by  good  penmen. 

But  whichever  slope  you  adopt,  whether  to  the  right  or  left, 
or  if  you  make  your  letters  perpendicular  to  the  line  of  writing, 
you  should  be  careful  to  make  every  letter  correspond  with  every 
other  letter  in  its  angle  to  the  line  of  writing.  The  dress  of  any 
letter  will  be  spoiled  by  zigzag  slopes,  or,  indeed,  by  any  depart- 
ure from  uniformity  in  this  respect. 

Take  the  following  as  an  example  of  the  staggering  hand,  too 
often  practised. 


16  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 


Now  let  us  change  this  letter  to  uniformity  of  slope,  and  see 
how  much  more  pleasant  it  is  to  the  eye,  though  by  no  means 
written  with  artistic  elegance. 


Chap.  I]  PENMANSHIP.  yi 


18  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

All  the  letters  of  a  word,  and  all  the  words  of  the  line  and 
paragi'aph,  should  be  adjusted  to  the  same  angle  with  absolute 
precision.  Such  adjustment  will  cover,  in  some  degree,  other 
defects.  In  business  letter- writing,  or  in  letter- writing  of  any- 
kind,  this  matter  of  uniform  slope  is  of  no  small  importance.  It 
has  almost  everything  to  do  in  giving  dress  to  the  letter ;  or,  at 
least,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  attractive  appearance  without 
it,  whatever  other  qualities  it  may  possess.  The  student  should 
give  his  attention  to  it  and  industriously  practise  it  until  no 
further  effort  is  necessary. 

4t  Finish.  —  By  want  oi  finish  one  letter,  or  part  of  a  letter  of  a 
word,  is  often  mistaken  for  another.  Particular  attention  is  called 
to  the  careless  practice  of  omitting  to  dot  the  i,  to  cross  the  t,  and 
to  loop  such  letters  as  require  looping,  as  well  as  the  practice  of 
looping  the  stems.  If  your  pen,  ink,  and  paper  are  good,  this 
blending  the  stem  into  a  loop  and  loop  into  a  stem,  with  a  little 
care,  can  always  be  avoided.  Such  mistakes  are  the  results  of 
downright  carelessness. 

If  the  minimum  i  and  e  are  connected,  and  the  former  is  not 
dotted,  nor  the  latter  looped,  they  may  be  easily  mistaken  for  u, 
a,  n,  T,  or  even  for  a  part  of  an  m  or  w.  If  the  upper  part  of  the 
c  is  not  pointed  it  may  be  mistaken  for  e,  i,  or  a  part  of  some 
other  letter.  Should  the  t  standing  next  to  I  in  the  same  w^ord  be 
looped  and  not  crossed,  or  be  so  crossed  as  to  involve  the  I,  con- 
fusion will  result.  Filter  might  thus  be  made  to  read  fille7%  or 
fitter. 

A  young  man  wrote  to  his  father  from  New  Orleans  that  the 
weather  was  so  hot  there  in  January  that  everybody  was  becoming 
half  wilted.  The  father  read  it  half  wilted,  and  wrote  his  boy  to 
come  home  immediately. 

By  careful  practice  the  student  will  acquire  a  settled  habit  of 
giving  perfection  to  each  letter  and  w^ord.  The  experienced 
teacher  of  penmanship  will  tell  you  that  by  patient  practice  aU 
difficulties  can  be  surmounted,  and  that  it  will  soon  be  found  as 
easy  to  make  your  letters  and  words  perfect  as  imperfect,  espe- 
cially so  far  as  legibility  is  concerned ;  for  this  quality  does  not 
at  all  depend  on  what  may  be  called  elegance.     Stiff  and  awk- 


Cliap.!.]  PENMANSHIP.  19 

ward  writing  may,  nevertheless,  be  made  plain  as  print,  simply  by 
an  observance  of  these  rules. 

3.  SPACES.  —  There  are  rules  in  regard  to  spaces  between  words, 
and  letters  standing  for  words. 

And  first,  the  distance  between  one  word  and  another,  whether 
the  words  are  of  one  or  several  syllables,  and  between  letters 
standing  for  words,  should  be  uniform.  The  rule  is  the  same  in 
reference  to  letters  standing  for  words  ;  as  a,  the  pronoun  /,  and 
the  interjection  0. 

No  matter  with  what  elegance  you  may  make  each  letter  or 
word,  the  eye  of  the  reader  will  be  confused  if  they  are  set  too 
close  together,  or  if  the  spaces  between  them  are  unequal.  Each 
word  should  be  made  to  stand  out  distinctly  by  itself  Some 
persons  write  their  words  so  close  together  that  the  reader 
becomes  perplexed  as  to  where  one  word  ends  and  another 
begins. 

The  rule  is,  to  leave  space  sufficient  to  write  the  minimum  m 
between  the  words,  of  the  same  size  of  that  letter  used  in  the 
body  of  your  writing.  As  already  stated,  the  same  spaces  must 
be  left  between  words  of  one,  two,  or  three  letters  as  between 
words  of  any  number  of  letters  or  syllables  ;  as,  to,  of,  in,  hut, 
and,  etc.  "  The  letter  a  standing  by  itself,  as  a  dollar,  must  have 
just  as  much  space  on  each  side  of  it  as  the  longest  word  in  our 
language.  It  would  be  difficult  to  read  even  a  printed  book,  were 
there  no  more  space  between  the  words  than  between  the  letters 
of  a  word. 

After  an  interrogation  or  exclamation  point,  and  following  the 
period,  space  enough  should  be  left  to  write  a  double  m.  The 
colon  and  semicolon  should  be  allowed  nearly  or  quite  the  same. 
When  the  dash  is  used,  let  it  occupy  about  as  much  room  as 
would  be  required  to  write  the  word  and. 

Notice  the  following  examples  of  proper  and  improper  spa- 
cing:— 


20  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

{Properly  spaced.) 

^Z)eaf^  Q/c'P,  —  Q/  dnouu/ V6  Tntccn'  couaec/  cou/c/  'uoic 
d^ze  ^de  /cid't  voca^ne  0/  "  ^/uime'd-  (§%m^zu  0/  Sna^ 
lanc^"  a  /eio  c/aud  /o7i^6Z,  ad-  a  Tnem^ez  c/  me  <^wzatu 
Q^ddocui^ion  tataned  ^o  nave  a  dian^  0/ t'^yudl  noza,  moti^d 
€de  (Moac  €L?fie  c/  ae^yn^ion  dad  ex/iczec/. 

^'^oaz  oaeaten^  aezvan^, 

(2/a?nue/  ^^U9ini?ia. 

<^£c^zazcan. 

{Improperly  spaced.) 

^Oea^P  (S^i'P Q/ddoumveniacdo^uaeacoaui  you  d/iazeme 
^d^vo/wfneo/ *' (k^wm^e' d  (k/CM^zuo/  0nacana''  a/eziA  aayd 
^naez,ad  a?ne7nvezo/ me^^^imazuQ^ddocca^contotdded  ^odave 
adiad^ou^md^nota,  ^doaad^deudo^v^^cTneouie^n^wnn^dex/iczea, 

^^ouzoveacen^dezvan^, 

&oZodn  &rmtM<^ziozazian. 


PENMANSHIP.  21 


DIRECTIONS   TO    THE    TEACHER. 

The  teacher  cannot  teach  this  work  with  facility,  especially  that  part  of  it 
which  relates  to  the  mechanical  structure  and  appearance  of  a  letter,  without 
almost  constant  use  of  the  Diagram,  on  page  23.  The  author  has  used  it 
several  years  in  his  instructions  on  this  subject,  and  knows  well  its  advan- 
tages. It  is  indispensable.  Not  only  must  the  ear  hear  the  teacher's  words, 
but  the  eye  must  be  presented  with  the  plan.  It  serves  a  far  better  purpose, 
though  the  same  in  kind,  than  maps  in  the  study  of  geography. 

The  Diagram  should  be  placed  on  the  blackboard,  enlarged  to  the  size  of 
16  by  20,  or  20  by  25  inches,  so  that  every  member  of  the  class  can  easily 
see  it. 

The  heading  should  be  carefully  written  where  it  belongs,  giving  to  it  its 
exact  position,  adopting  such  items  as  the  teacher  may  choose.  One  set  of 
items  after  another  may  be  used,  until  a  great  variety  has  been  presented  to 
the  class. 

The  items  constituting  the  names  and  additions,  the  address  and  the  con- 
clusion, may  likewise  be  varied  by  the  ingenious  and  skiKul  teacher.  Minute 
instructions  are  given  on  all  these  subjects  a  little  farther  on  in  this  work. 

The  punctuation  of  all  these  parts  of  a  letter  should  be  practiced  by  every 
pupil  in  the  class.  The  teacher  can  do  his  work  on  the  blackboard,  requir- 
ing the  pupils  to  do  theirs  on  their  slates. 

False  examples  of  position,  items,  and  punctuation  of  the  several  parts  of  a 
letter  may  be  given  to  good  advantage  by  the  teacher,  requiring  the  pupils  to 
make  the  proper  corrections. 

The  author  objects  to  being  held  responsible  for  any  want  of  success  in 
teaching  this  work,  unless  his  plan  of  instruction  is  strictly  followed. 


22  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 


KEY  TO  THE  DIAGRAM. 

2.  2.  Hyphen.     See  Sec.  H.,  Part  Second,  Chap.  I. 

3.  Heading.     Sec.  HI.,  Part  Fu-st,  Chap.  I. 

4.  4,  4,  4.  Left  margin.     Sec.  IV.,  Part  First,  Chap.  I. 

5.  Names  and  address.     Sec.  V.,  Part  First,  Chap.  I. 

6.  Where  to  begin.     Sec.  VI.,  Part  Fu-st,  Chap.  I. 

7.  Conclusion.     Sec.  VH.,  Part  First,  Chap.  I. 

a,  a,  a,  a,  a.  Paragraphs.     Sec.  VI.,  Part  First,  Chap.  I. 


Chap.  L]  PENMAN SH, 


DIAGRAM  OF  THE  STRUCTURE  OP  A  LETTER. 


nopU. 


,  Ice-water. 


.Constanti' 


24  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 


16^^ 


'^  ^^U-^yz^-z-iC.-dd/ 


Chap.  L]  PENMANSHIP.  25 


y^^^^ 


'^^^€Zy^.^2^^^ld-€^^^i^^^>^ 


J^^^^y^x^ 


^;;:::i!^:^^>:^>^^^?^^^^^:^^:^^.^^t^ 


26  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

By  reference  to  the  diagram  you  will  see  that  a  letter  consists 
of  several  parts,  which  are  designated  by  figures  and  letters. 
Figures  2,  2  show  the  hyphen ;  3  is  the  heading,  generally  called 
the  date ;  4  shows  the  space  that  should  be  allow^ed  for  the  left 
margin ;  5,  5,  the  place  where  the  names  of  the  parties  to  be  ad- 
dressed, and  the  address  are  written ;  6,  the  place  for  the  begin- 
ning of  the  letter  immediately  following  the  address ;  a,  a,  a,  a,  a, 
the  beginning  of  paragraphs ;  and  7,  the  close  or  conclusion  of 
the  letter.  Each  part  of  the  letter  is  discussed  in  the  section 
correspondingly  numbered. 

A  sample  letter  follows  this  diagram,  written  out  in  full  by  an 
excellent  and  experienced  business  penman,  di,  facsimile  of  which 
is  here  furnished  by  the  engraver.  You  should  study  this  letter 
in  connection  with  the  diagram,  as  thereby  you  will  see  how  well 
all  parts  of  it  correspond  each  with  the  other.  As  every  circle, 
whether  its  diameter  be  an  inch  or  hundreds  of  millions  of  miles, 
must  have  three  hundred  and  sixty  degrees,  so  every  letter,  large 
or  small,  important  or  unimportant,  is  incomplete  in  mechanical 
structure,  if  wanting  in  any  of  these  parts. 

After  you  shall  have  answered  the  following  questions,  we  will 
look  at  these  parts,  beginning  with  the  first. 

QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  IL 

Penmanship. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  is  said  of  ability  to  write  well  ? 

3.  What  prevents  writing  a  good  hand  ? 

4.  What  will  overcome  all  difficulties? 
6.  What  particulars  are  to  be  observed? 

6.  What  is  meant  by  legibility? 

7.  How  do  children  write? 

8.  What  is  their  only  aim? 

9.  What  does  this  demonstrate  ? 

10.  What  do  some  persons  boast  of  ? 

11.  Wliat  is  their  motive  for  it  ? 

12.  AVhat  is  said  of  this  kind  of  boasting? 

13.  How  plain  should  your  writing  be? 

14.  What  did  Lord  Palmerston  say  ? 


Chap.  L]  QUESTIONS  ON  PENMANSHIP.  27 

15.  For  what  did  the  Baltimore  merchant  suffer? 

16.  What  did  a  merchant  receive  on  an  order  for  mangoes  1 

1 7.  What  did  the  wine  merchant  receive  on  his  order  for  heer  f 

18.  What  mistake  was  made  with  a  sermon? 

19.  How  is  legibility  sometimes  spoiled? 

20.  What  objection  to  a  fine,  delicate  handwriting? 

21.  What  is  a  common  fault  with  ladies'  writing  ? 

22.  What  are  the  divisions  under  the  head  of  uniformity  ? 

23.  What  should  govern  the  size  of  capitals? 

24.  What  about  their  projection  above  and  below  the  line  ? 

25.  What  exceptions  to  uniformity  in  their  size  ? 

26.  What  about  blending  letters  into  each  other  ? 

27.  What  about  flourishes  in  business  letters? 

28.  What  is  said  about  flourishes  ? 

29.  How  many  classes  of  small  letters  are  there  ? 

30.  Wliat  are  they  called  ? 

31.  Of  what  class  is  the  minimum  letter  ? 

32.  W^hat  are  the  names  of  them? 

33.  Which  may  be  taken  as  a  measure  of  the  others? 

34.  What  good  will  it  do  to  practise  on  them? 

35.  What  are  the  ejciended  loop  letters? 

36.  Why  are  they  so  called? 

37.  What  should  be  their  length  ? 

38.  What,  with  reference  to  the  capitals? 

39.  What  are  the  extended  stem  letters  ? 

40.  What  should  be  their  length  above  or  below  the  line  ? 

41.  What  exception  to  this  rule  ? 

42.  What  is  meant  by  slope  ? 

43.  What  objection  to  the  back  hand  ? 

44.  About  what  is  the  usual  slope  to  the  right? 

45.  What  is  said  about  uniformity  of  slope? 

46.  How  may  the  dress  of  a  letter  be  spoiled? 

47.  If  you  do  not  easily  acquire  it,  how  long  should  you  practise  uniformity 
of  slope? 

48.  How  does  want  oi finish  affect  letters? 

49.  W^hat  is  the  effect  of  not  dotting  the  i  or  crossing  the  tl 

50.  What,  of  neglecting  to  loop  the  I  ? 

61.  How  ma,y  filler  be  made  to  read  filler  or  fitter  ? 

52.  Why  was  the  boy  ordered  home  from  New  Orleans? 

53.  How  may  perfection  be  given  to  every  letter  ? 

54.  What  will  the  teacher  of  penmanship  tell  you? 

65.  What  is  said  about  legibility  depending  on  elegance? 

56.  WTiat  is  the  rule  about  spaces? 

57.  What,  when  letters  stand  for  words? 


28  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

68.  How  may  the  reader  be  confused  by  spaces? 

59.  How  should  each  word  be  made  to  stand  out? 

60.  How  do  some  persons  write  in  reference  to  spaces? 

61.  Wliat  is  the  rule  about  spaces  between  small  words? 

62.  What  about  spaces  with  pauses  ? 

63.  How  much  room  should  the  dash  occupy? 

64.  What  does  figure  2  refer  to  in  the  diagram? 

65.  What,  figure  3? 

66.  What,  figures  4,  4,  4,  4? 

67.  Wliat,  figures  5,  5?  figure  6?  figure  7? 

68.  What  do  a,  a,  a,  a,  a  represent? 

69.  What  does  a  letter  consist  of? 

70.  By  what  names  are  the  parts  known? 


SECTION    III. 

HEADING  OR  DATE. 

'   BLACKBOARD    EXERCISE. 

i  1.  Position. 
3.  Heading.  \  2.  items. 

( 3.  Punctuation. 

1.  POSITION.  —  If  your  letter  is  to  consist  of  less  than  a  page,  the 
position  of  the  heading  should  be  selected  with  reference  to  the 
probable  number  of  lines  that  will  be  required. 

Suppose  there  are  twenty-six  lines  on  your  page,  and  you  do 
not  intend  to  write  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen ;  say,  fifteen  is  the 
probable  number.  Your  heading,  including  date,  will  occupy, 
perhaps,  two  lines.  In  such  case  the  proper  place  to  begin  the 
heading  is  on  the  third  line  from  the  top. 

Having  used  two  lines,  beginning  on  the  third,  the  next  line  is 
the  fifth,  on  which  the  names  will  be  written ;  the  sixth  being 
appropriated  to  the  residence.  The  address  wiU  be  written  on 
the  seventh  line,  following  which,  on  the  same  line,  you  will  begin 
the  body  of  your  letter.  That,  occupying,  say,  fifteen  lines,  will  end 
on  the  twenty-second.  Following  this  will  be  the  conclusion, 
which  includes  the  usual  terms  of  respect,  and  the  signature, 


Chap.  I.]  HEADING  OR  DATE.  29 

which  will  occupy  two  lines  more,  ending  on  the  twenty-fourth. 
Now  you  have  just  as  much  space  on  your  paper  below  the  signa- 
ture as  there  is  above  your  heading ;  that  is,  measuring  space  by 
the  line.  There  will  be  a  httle  more  space  above,  however,  as  the 
first  line  on  your  letter-sheet  is  usually  an  inch  and  a  half  below 
the  upper  edge.  The  place  for  the  heading  is  on  this  first  line, 
however,  when  you  intend  to  completely  fill  the  page,  or  to  write 
more  than  a  page. 

If  you  are  about  to  write  a  letter  of  but  seven  to  ten  or  twelve 
lines,  more  or  less,  of  course  the  heading  should  be  placed  cor- 
respondingly lower,  and  the  signature  will  be  proportionally 
higher  on  the  page. 

If  .your  letter  is  to  consist  of  two  or  more  pages,  of  course  the 
heading  may  be  placed  on  the  first  or  second  line  from  the  top,  as 
already  suggested. 

By  observing  these  directions,  you  give  your  sheet  a  much 
better  mechanical  arrangement  and  appearance. 

If  your  letter  is  to  occupy  more  than  one  page,  and  a  copy 
is  to  be  taken  by  a  letter-press  before  mailing,  it  will  be  ne- 
cessary to  write  only  on  alternate  pages;  as  it  will  not  do. to 
write  on  opposite  pages  of  the  same  leaf  for  copying  by  this 
means.  With  business  men  generally,  it  is  now  usual  to  cut 
the  sheet  at  the  folding  into  two  leaves,  and  to  use  only  a 
single  page  of  each  for  writing,  whether  the  letter  be  longer  or 
shorter. 

Unless  the  heading  is  necessarily  long,  it  should  not  begin 
much  to  the  left  of  the  middle  of  the  line  on  which  it  is  written. 
If  it  is  too  long  to  come  conveniently  within  the  limit  of  a  half, 
or  a  little  more  than  half  a  line,  let  it  be  extended  for  completion 
to  the  next  line  below ;  dropping  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  be- 
ginning of  the  first  line,  thus  :  — 

Gy^eu,   ^ozd,  Q^uyua  5,  ^^7 2, 
If  the  heading  is  short,  it  may  begin  at  the  right  of  the  middle 


30  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

of  the  line  on  which  it  is  written ;  especially  if  it  is  not  necessary 
to  extend  to  the  next  line,  thus  :  — 


The  heading  of  a  letter  that  occupies  nearly  a  whole  line  has 
an  awkward  appearance.  Give  it  a  part  of  two  lines,  when 
necessary,  beginning,  as  before  stated,  at  the  right  of  the  mid- 
dle of  the  first. 

2.  ITEMS.  —  Of  course  the  items  used  for  a  heading  depend  on 
the  place  where,  and  the  time  when,  the  letter  is  written.  If  a 
letter  were  written  in  New  York,  and  is  to  be  sent  to  any  place 
within  the  United  States,  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  give  the 
county,  nor  even  the  State,  as  a  part  of  the  heading  ;  for  there  is 
but  one  New  York  on  this  continent,  if  on  the  globe. 

But  if  you  are  writing  from  an  obscure  place,  or  from  one  the 
name  of  which  belongs  to  cities  or  villages  of  other  States  also, 
the  name  of  the  State,  or  its  abbreviation,  in  wliich  your  letter  is 
written,  should  be  included  in  the  heading.  For  instance,  there 
are  several  places  in  the  United  States  having  the  name  of 
Springfield.  Were  you  writing  from  Springfield,  Illinois,  there- 
fore, Illinois  must  be  included  in  the  heading ;  else  your  corre- 
spondent may  not  know  into  what  State  to  send  his  reply.  The 
post-mark  on  the  envelope  will  not  always  help  him  out  of  the 
difficulty  ;  for  that  is  often  nothing  but  a  series  of  blots. 

Again,  unless  the  place  where  you  are  writing  is  sufficiently 
conspicuous  to  be  well  known  aU  over  the  State,  as  Albany,  Syra- 
cuse, Eochester,  or  Buffalo,  the  name  of  the  county  should  be 
included  in  the  heading,  thus  :  — 

If  you  are  writing  from  a  city,  the  name  and  number  of  your 
street  should  be  a  part  of  the  heading  of  your  letter,  unless  you 


Chap.  I.]  HEADING  OR  DATE.  31 

receive  your  mail  tlirougli  a  post-office  box,  in  wMch  case  the 
number  of  your  box  should  be  given,  thus :  — 

Q^uaad€  5,  /^7J>. 
Or,  in  case  you  have  a  post-office  box,  thus  :  — 

Q^ar^a^^  3,  /^JS. 

You  must  bear  in  mind  that  your  correspondent  may  be  obliged 
to  follow  the  heading  of  your  letter  in  directing  to  you  his  answer. 
If  your  heading  is  imperfect  or  indistinct,  the  superscription  on 
the  return  letter  may  be  equally  so,  and  you  may  fail  to  receive 
the  expected  answer.  The  Post-Office  Department  makes  bitter 
complaint  on  account  of  blunders  of  this  kind.  Thousands  of 
letters  are  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  every  year  for  want 
of  proper  superscriptions  or  directions,  and  in  which  this  want 
has  arisen  from  the  imperfect  headings  of  other  letters  to  which 
these  dead  letters  were  answers. 

3.  PUNCTUATION.  —  Several  general  rules  for  punctuation  may  be 
found  in  Part  Second.  But  a  few  examples  may  properly  be 
given  here  for  the  punctuation  of  headings,  for  the  use  of  those 
who  may  not  be  familiar  with  those  rules,  or  who  may  be  unac- 
quainted with  the  science  of  grammar.  It  requires  but  a  moment's 
attention  to  learn  by  rote  to  punctuate  the  heading  of  a  letter. 
There  is,  therefore,  no  excuse  for  negligence  in  this  particular. 

A  little  discretion  may  be  allowable  in  punctuating  the  head- 
ing, as  well  as  other  parts  of  a  letter;  but  if  you  follow  the 
examples  here  given,  you  wiU  not  be  chargeable  with  mistakes. 


32  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 


No.  1. 


No.  2. 


No.  3. 


No.  4. 


No.  5. 
2   (mnoP   (Pad  ^7/a, 

^one/on,  Sy.,  QA^oi^.  pd,  /c^/J^. 


In  writing  the  date  to  a  letter,  by  which  is  meant  here  the 
month,  day  of  the  month,  and  year,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  suffix 
to  the  figures  giving  the  day  of  the  month  certain  letters,  making 
ordinal  adjectives  of  the  figures,  thus :  August  1st,  2d,  3d,  4th, 
5th,  11th,  12th,  22d,  25th,  etc.,  etc.  This  may  be  done,  and  is 
by  no  means  improper ;  but  good  usage  does  not  require  it.  Wlien 
it  is  done,  however,  the  letters  suffixed  to  the  figures  must  be 


Chap.  I.]  QUESTIONS  ON  HEADING  OR  DATE.  33 

placed  in  line  with  the  figures,  as  in  the  foregoing  examples. 
Never  place  these  letters  above  the  line,  thus :  August  1^*,  2^,  4^**, 
10*^  etc.  Mistakes  of  this  kind  are  frequent.  The  practice  is 
quite  out  of  date  now,  and  never  was  proper. 


QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  IIL 

Heading  or  Date. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  Into  how  many  parts  is  it  divided? 

3.  What  should  be  the  position  of  the  heading? 

4.  How  should  it  be  determined  ? 

5.  If  your  sheet  has  twenty-six  lines,  and  the  body  of  your  letter  is  to 
have  fifteen,  where  would  you  begin  the  heading? 

6.  What  is  to  be  written  on  the  fifth? 

7.  What  on  the  sixth? 

8.  What  on  the  seventh? 

9.  What  should  follow  the  address  on  the  same  line? 

10.  What  follows  the  body  of  the  letter? 

11.  How  many  lines  does  the  conclusion  occupy? 

12.  How  much  space  should  be  left  below  the  conclusion  of  your  letter? 

13.  If  your  letter  takes  a  whole  page,  where  should  the  heading  begin? 

14.  If  your  letter  is  to  be  short,  where? 

15.  Where  will  the  signature  then  be? 

16.  Where  should  the  heading  be  if  the  letter  is  to  occupy  more  than  one 
page? 

17.  Wliat  is  the  object  of  these  rules? 

18.  When  are  you  to  write  on  alternate  pages? 

19.  What  is  usual  with  business  men  about  cutting  letter  sheets? 

20.  Where  on  the  line  should  the  heading  begin  ? 

21 .  If  the  heading  is  too  long  for  half  a  line,  what  is  to  be  done? 

22.  If  the  heading  is  short,  where? 

23.  Why  not  let  a  heading  occupy  a  whole  line? 

24.  On  what  do  the  items  of  the  heading  depend? 

25.  When  is  it  unnecessary  to  give  county  and  State? 

26.  When  is  it  necessary  to  give  the  State? 

27.  Why  is  this  necessary? 

28.  Wlien  should  the  county  be  given  also? 

29.  When  should  name  and  number  of  street  be  given? 

30.  Why  should  they  be  given? 

31.  Of  what  does  the  Post-Office  Department  complain? 

32.  WTiy  are  letters  often  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  ? 

2*  0 


34  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED,  [Part  L 

33.  Wliat  is  meant  by  punctuation  ? 

34.  How  long  does  it  take  to  learn  to  punctuate  the  heading? 

35.  How  many  commas  are  there  in  example  No.  1? 

36.  Where  are  they  ? 

37.  IIow  many  periods  ? 

38.  Where  are  they? 

39.  How  many  periods  in  No.  2? 

40.  Where  are  they? 

41.  How  many  commas,  and  where,  in  No  3? 

42.  How  many  periods,  and  where? 

43.  Answer  the  same  questions  about  No.  4. 

44.  Also  about  No.  5. 

.     45.  W^here  should  letters  be  placed  when  suffixed  to  the  day  of  the  month? 
46.  What  is  said  about  the  necessity  of  suffixing  these  letters? 


SECTION    IV. 

LEFT   MARGIN. 

On  the  left  of  your  page  there  should  be  given  a  broad,  liberal 
margin ;  say,  of  three  quarters  of  an  inch,  or  a  little  more,  with 
which  the  writing  is  not  to  interfere.  The  mechanical  dress  and 
appearance  of  a  letter  are  injured  by  extending  the  writing  to 
the  extreme  left  edge,  or  by  leaving  but  a  narrow,  stingy  space  of 
a  quarter  or  half  an  inch. 

Let  this  margin  be  of  uniform  width.  If  it  is  half  an  inch  on 
some  lines,  three  fourths  on  others,  and  an  inch  on  some  others, 
in  the  same  letter,  the  page  would  present  a  better  appearance 
with  none  at  all.  Lawyers  are  accused,  as  a  class,  of  writing  a 
shockingly  poor,  illegible  hand.  As  a  general  rule,  the  accusation 
is  quite  groundless ;  but,  whether  true  or  false,  it  can  hardly  be 
denied  that  their  papers  generally  present  a  very  neat  mechanical 
appearance.  Even  though  the  handwriting  be  illegible  and  in- 
elegant, there  is  a  fine  dress  to  their  papers,  which  is  not  excelled, 
if  equalled,  by  the  papers  of  any  other  class  of  business  men. 

Much  of  the  business  air  of  the  lawyer's  court  papers  is  due 
to  his  left  margin,  and  the  open  frequent  paragraphs,  with  which 
his  briefs  and  other  legal  documents  are  dressed.  The  lawyer 
rarely  writes  anything,  scarcely  a  letter,  without  the  aid  of  a  mar- 


Chap.  I]  LEFT  MARGIN.  35 

ginal  guide-line  at  the  left.  Knowing  this  habit  of  the  profession, 
paper  dealers  furnish  a  kind  of  paper  called  legal  cap,  which  has 
a  marginal  perpendicular  red  line  at  the  left,  that  serves  as  a 
guide.  If  the  lawyer  does  not  happen  to  have  this  kind  of  paper 
on  his  table,  he  takes  the  plain  cap  or  letter  paper,  and  laps  it 
over  from  the  left  edge,  and  breaks  it  down  so  as  to  form  the 
necessary  guide-line. 

If  any  one  thing  makes  a  letter  look  mean  and  stingy,  it  is  a 
narrow  margin  at  the  left ;  and  if  any  one  thing  stamps  the  writer 
as  a  careless  sloven,  it  is  an  unequal,  zigzag  margin.  Either  of 
these  faults  will  spoil  the  appearance  of  the  finest  letter  ever 
written  by  the  most  practiced  hand. 

The  unpracticed  letter- writer  will  find  it  convenient  to  furnish 
himself  with  a  marginal  guide-line,  on  a  separate  leaf,  which  he 
can  place  under  the  page  on  which  he  writes.  Draw  a  deep, 
heavy  black  line  on  the  leaf,  at  the  desired  distance  from  the  left 
edge ;  and  this,  placed  under  the  sheet  to  be  written  on,  will 
answer  the  purpose  perfectly.  It  will  show  faintly  through  the 
thickest  letter  paper  used.  By  reference  to  the  diagram  on  the 
following  page,  you  will  see  what  is  intended. 

So  much  does  a  uniform  and  liberal  margin  contribute  to  the 
good  appearance  of  a  letter,  that  no  apology  is  necessary  for  press- 
ing the  subject  upon  the  attention  of  the  student.  Though  every- 
thing else  may  be  done  unexceptionably  well,  a  stingy  or  zigzag 
margin  will  utterly  destroy  the  appearance  of  mechanical  finish 
in  your  work.  It  will  be  like  a  broad  street  without  a  sidewalk, 
or  a  magnificent  edifice  without  towers,  turrets,  or  cornice. 

Unlike  almost  any  other  part  of  your  letter,  this  requires 
neither  labor,  skill,  nor  long  practice,  —  simply  attention.  It  can 
be  done  as  well  by  the  school  boy  or  girl  of  twelve  years  as  by 
the  experienced  correspondent  of  forty. 


36 


THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED, 


[Part  I. 


DIAGRAM   OF   GUIDE-LINE. 


It  is  hardly  probable  that  you  will  find  it  necessary  to  make 
use  of  such  a  line  a  long  time,  as  the  eye  soon  learns  to  measure 
so  limited  a  space  with  almost  absolute  accuracy. 


QUESTIONS    ON    SECTION   IV. 
Left  Margin. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  IVhat  should  be  the  width  of  the  margin  ? 

3.  AVhy  is  a  left  margin  necessary  ? 

4.  What  spoils  the  appearance  of  the  margin  ? 

5.  ^Vhat  is  the  appearance  of  lawyers'  papers  ? 

6.  Wliy  do  they  present  a  neat  appearance  ? 

7.  What  gives  them  their  business  air  ? 


Chap.  I.j  ADDRESS.— POSITION.  37 

8.  What  do  paper  dealers  do  for  the  legal  profession  ? 

9.  How  does  the  lawyer  furnish  a  marginal  line  for  himself  ? 

10.  What  gives  a  letter  a  stingy  look? 

11.  What  makes  it  look  slovenly  ? 

1 2.  How  may  the  appearance  of  a  letter  be  spoiled  ? 

1 3.  How  can  the  unpractised  writer  furnish  a  marginal  line  for  himself  ? 

14.  Do  you  give  a  broad  margin  to  your  letters  ? 


SECTION    V. 

ADDRESS. 

BLACKBOARD    EXERCISE. 
( 1.  Position. 
5.  Address.  <  2.  Names  and  Additions. 
( 3.  Punctuation. 

The  subject  of  this  section  will  be  most  easily  taught  under 
the  three  following  divisions  :  Position  ;  Names  and  Additions ; 
and  Punctuation. 

1.  POSITION.  —  In  business  letters,  or  in  any  other  kind,  you 
should  be  careful  to  give  the  proper  position  to  the  name  or  names 
of  the  persons  to  be  addressed.  Some,  especially  those  who  have 
had  but  little  practice  in. writing  letters,  make  awkward  work  in 
locating  these  names.  They,  or  some  of  them,  are  often  placed 
on  the  hne  with  the  heading ;  sometimes  they  will  be  dropped  a 
single  line  below,  and  be  placed  directly  under  the  heading ;  then, 
again,  they  will  be  dropped  two,  three,  or  even  four  or  five  lines 
below ;  thrown  entirely  away  from  the  heading,  as  though  they 
were  in  no  way  related  to  it.  In  some  instances  they  are  thrown 
to  the  right  of  the  middle  of  the  line  on  which  they  are  written. 
All  such  blunders  give  a  shabby  appearance  to  a  letter,  though 
written  in  Spencer's  or  Payson  and  Dunton's  most  elegant  style. 

The  names  of  the  persons  to  be  addressed  should  always  com- 
mence on  the  first  line  below  the  heading,  at  the  right  of,  and  near 
to  the  guide-line  of  the  left  margin.  Thus  they  will  begin  even 
with  all  the  Lines  of  the  page,  except  those  of  the  heading  and 
those  that  commence  paragraphs.  If  a  title  is  to  be  prefixed,  as, 
Messrs.,  Mr.,  or  General,  that,  instead  of  the  name,  is  to  begin 


38  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

at  the  marginal  line.  See  diagram  of  the  structure  of  a  letter, 
figure  5. 

Any  deviation  from  this  rule  is  a  departure  from  good  usage 
among  the  best  business  correspondents. 

The  student  is  too  apt  to  imitate  the  mistakes  or  blunders  of 
those  whom  he  thinks  are  models  in  letter- writing.  If,  in  a  sin- 
gle instance,  they  have  given  the  wrong  position  to  the  names  to 
be  addressed,  he  will  point  to  that  error  as  a  precedent  to  justify 
his  own  mistakes.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  writer 
may  have  -been  careless  in  the  case  cited,  and  that,  were  his  atten- 
tion called  to  it,  he  might  admit  the  mistake,  and  object  to  its  use 
as  a  model.  Mechanically,  a  letter  may  be  perfectly  elegant  in 
many  respects,  though  a  failure  in  some  others. 

Although  a  business  firm  may  consist  of  many  partners,  it  is 
unusual  for  more  than  three  names  to  appear  in  their  business 
correspondence  ;  the  others  being  represented  by  the  abbreviation, 
Co.  When  there  is  not  room  to  write  all  the  names,  on  account 
of  their  number,  or  the  length  of  each,  without  extending  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  line  to  the  right,  one  or  more  may  be  brought 
down  to  the  next  line  below  ;  thus,  — 

'.enue?nen,  — 


The  address.  Gentlemen,  should  begin  the  same  distance  from 
the  marginal  guide-line  as  you  commence  all  the  paragraphs  of 
your  letter  ;  for  the  places  of  their  beginning  should  be  uniform. 

The  names  may  be  entirely  omitted  at  the  beginning  if  you 
choose,  in  which  case  they  must  be  written  in  the  corresponding 
place  at  the  close  of  your  letter ;  that  is,  at  the  left.  This  is 
generally  the  English  style ;  and  in  this  country  it  is  done  thus 
in  all  letters  of  an  ofl&cial  character ;  as,  for  instance,  — 

To  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish, 

Secretary  of  State, 

Washington,  D.  C. 


Chap.  I.]  ADDRESS.— NAMES  AND  ADDITIONS.  39 

But  business  men  in  the  United  States  generally  seem  to  prefer 
that  the  names  appear  at  the  beginning,  though  the  practice,  even 
here,  does  not  seem  to  be  uniform.  But  the  complimentary  ad- 
dress —  as,  Gentlemen,  Dear  Sir,  &c.,  —  is  always  placed  there. 

Perhaps  no  very  important  reason  can  be  given  in  favor  of  one 
place  over  the  other.  But  the  American  practice,  as  already 
stated,  rather  decides  in  favor  of  placing  the  names  at  the 
beginning,  while  the  English  practice  favors  placing  them  at 
the  end.  Grammatically,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Eng- 
lish practice  is  the  correct  one,  as  will  appear  presently. 

2.  NAMES  AND  ADDITIONS.  —  As  already  stated,  the  names,  as  weU 
as  the  additions,  if  any,  must  appear  at  the  beginning  or  at  the 
end  of  the  letter.  By  additions,  we  mean  words  of  respect, 
titles  of  honor,  &c.,  as  Rev.,  Prof.,  Gen.,  Hon.,  and  the  like,  as 
well  as  the  place  of  residence.  The  addition  of  the  residence  is 
necessary  for  two  reasons  :  — 

First,  there  may  be  other  persons,  or  other  firms  of  like  names, 
with  whom  you  have  correspondence,  but  not  residing  in  the 
same  place;  and  if  a  copy  of  your  letter  is  preserved,  by 
reference  to  your  letter-book,  if  the  residence  is  given,  you  will 
have  no  trouble  in  determining  the  party  addressed. 

Second,  the  envelope  may  become  mutilated  or  torn  off  during 
the  transit  of  the  letter  to  its  destination ;  and  if  the  residence  is 
not  added  to  the  name  or  names,  it  will  not  appear  to  whom  it  is 
vn-itten,  or,  rather,  to  what  place  it  should  be  forwarded.  Whereas, 
if  the  place  of  residence  be  added  to  the  names,  the  letter  can  be 
inclosed  in  a  new  envelope,  and  re-directed  to  that  place. 

Strictly  speaking,  the  names  and  additions,  whether  written  at 
the  beginning  or  at  the  end  of  the  letter,  are  no  part  of  the 
address  proper,  except  so  far  as  they  show  who  are  addressed. 
The  names  and  address  have  this  remote  connection,  and  no 
other.  Grammatically,  the  names  to  be  addressed  are  in  the 
third  person,  governed  by  the  preposition  to  understood,  and 
should  be  followed  by  a  period.  The  address  —  as,  Mr.  Speaker, 
Dear  Sir,  Gentlemen  —  are  in  the  second  person,  in  the  nominative 
case   independent,   and  should  be  followed  by  a  colon,  or   its 


40  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED,  [Part  L 

equivalent;  as,  Mr,  Speaker:  —  Mr.  President , — Dear  Sir, — 
Gentlemen :  —  etc.,  etc. 

The  language  of  the  names  and  additions  is  elliptical,  and, 
supplying  the  words  omitted,  but  understood,  it  would  read  thus : 
Tills  letter  is  written  to  Messrs.  Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor,  &  Co., 
who  reside  in  the  city  of  Neio  York.  Take  a  single  name,  as  an 
instance :  John  Smith,  Esq.,  500  Broadway,  New  York.  Written 
out  in  full,  it  would  read  thus :  This  letter  is  addressed  to  John 
Smith,  who  is  an  Esquire,  and  resides  at  Number  five  hundred 
Broadway,  in  the  city  of  New  York.  If  this  were  written  out  in 
full,  and  placed  at  the  head  of  the  page,  and  before  the  date,  no 
question  of  punctuation  could  possibly  arise.  It  is  obviously  the 
same  in  construction,  if  these  words  are  written  before  the 
address  proper,  or  at  the  foot  of  the  letter. 

If  this  view  be  correct,  when  the  title  Messrs.  is  placed  before 
the  names  of  several  persons  constituting  a  business  firm,  these 
names  may  properly  be  followed  by  the  word  Gentlemen,  as  the 
word  of  address.  Otherwise  the  word  Gentlemen  would  be 
clearly  tautological,  as  the  abbreviation  Messrs.  has  the  same 
signification,  and  is  in  the  same  sentence,  unless  separated  from 
the  names,  by  a  period. 

Then,  again,  if  the  names  are  in  the  third  person,  as  clearly 
they  are,  and  the  address  is  in  the  second,  which  is  equally 
obvious,  and  they  are  not  separated  by  a  period,  we  have  the 
awkward  arrangement  of  third  and  second  person  in  the  same 
sentence,  and  each  referring  to  the  same  individuals.  This  is 
never  to  be  tolerated. 

For  the  same  reasons,  it  is  proper  to  address  Sir,  or  Dear  Sir, 
after  having  prefixed  the  title  Mr.,  or  suffixed  the  title  Esquire, 
to  the  name  of  the  person  to  be  addressed.  It  is  not  tautological, 
because  the  name  and  address  are  not  in  the  same  person  nor  in 
the  same  sentence. 

The  English  practice  is  to  place  a  period  after  the  name  or 
names  to  be  addressed,  and  is  unquestionably  correct.  As  to  the 
American  practice  in  pointing  after  the  names,  there  is  no 
uniformity.  Some  place  a  comma  there,  some  a  semicolon,  and 
others  a  colon.     Hardly  two  authors  agree,  in  practice,  on  the 


Chap.  L]  ADDRESS.— NAMES  AND  ADDITIONS.  41 

subject,  though  they  say  nothing  about  it.  This  disparity, 
undoubtedly,  results  from  the  erroneous  idea  that  the  names  are 
as  much  a  part  of  the  address  as  the  complimentary  words  that 
follow  them.  If  it  be  correct  to  place  any  point  less  than  a 
period  at  the  end  of  the  names,  the  complimentary  address  that 
follows  is  quite  out  of  place  and  superfluous.  It  is  but  a 
bungUng  repetition  at  best.  Therefore,  either  place  a  period 
after  the  name  or  names,  or  omit  the  complimentary  address 
altogether.  The  former  is  decidedly  preferable ;  in  fact,  the  only 
correct  course,  when  the  names  are  written  at  the  beginning. 

Esquire,  usually  abbreviated  to  Esq.  or  Esqr.,  is  a  very  common 
title  of  respect  in  this  country.  It  is  much  used  in  business 
correspondence,  in  connection  with  a  single  name  to  be  addressed. 
It  is  rarely  used  for  this  purpose  in  the  plural  number.  This  title 
is  now  entirely  perverted  from  its  original  signification  by  its  indis- 
criminate popular  use.  Originally  a  title  of  respect,  it  now  signi- 
fies just  nothing  at  all.  Yet  its  omission  might,  in  some  cases, 
give  offense,  though  the  person  addressed  could  lay  no  claim  to  it. 

In  England,  several  hundred  years  ago,  there  were  five  classes 
of  dignitaries  to  whom  this  title  belonged.     They  were  :  — 

1.  The  eldest  sons  of  knights,  and  their  eldest  sons  in  perpetual 
succession. 

2.  Such  as  were  created  Esquires  by  the  king's  letters  patent, 
or  other  investiture,  and  their  eldest  sons. 

3.  The  eldest  sons  of  younger  sons  of  peers,  and  their  eldest 
sons  in  perpetual  succession. 

4.  Such  as  were  Esquires  by  virtue  of  their  offices ;  as,  justices 
of  the  peace,  and  others  who  bore  any  office  under  the  crown. 

5.  Later  than  the  origin  of  these  classes,  and,  it  is  said,  by 
usurpation,  the  members  of  the  legal  profession  were  universally 
recognized  by  this  title.  But  they  have  enjoyed  it  so  long  that 
it  has  become,  both  in  England  and  this  country,  an  established 
distinction.* 

The  word  gentleman  was  originally  significant  of  wealth  and 
education,  and  that  the  bearer  of  the  title  was  able  to  live  in  idle- 
ness, or,  at  least,  without  personal  exertion  to  support  himself -|* 

*  Blackstone's  Commentaries,  Vol.  I.  p.  406.  f  ^i^-?  P-  ^^^^ 


42  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

But  custom,  in  this  country,  sanctions  the  use  of  Esquire  as  a 
title  for  any  man  without  discrimination,  unless  he  is  entitled 
to  something  higher  and  more  honorable.  Indeed,  it  is  now 
recognized  propriety  to  address  any  man  as  Esquire  who  is 
entitled  to  be  called  Mister  {Mr) ;  but  you  must  not  address  as 
both;  for  in  common  parlance,  especially  in  letter- writing,  one 
signifies  the  same  as  the  other.     All  male  citizens  are  Esquires  ! 

So  every  man  in  this  country,  whether  he  wears  hat  and  boots, 
or  goes  bareheaded  and  barefooted,  is  called  a  gentleman.  As  an 
address,  it  is  never  used  in  the  singular  number.  The  historic 
significance  of  the  term  was  long  since  lost  through  its  in- 
discriminate application  to  all  men,  whether  boors  and  rowdies 
or  persons  of  culture  and  refinement.  When  a  word  becomes 
applicable  to  all  men,  or  is  used  as  though  it  were,  it  necessarily 
ceases  to  be  in  any  sense  complimentary.  This  is  precisely  the 
condition  of  the  two  words  Esquire  and  Gentlemen,  as  used  in 
the  United  States,  in  business  or  other  correspondence. 

But,  as  it  costs  nothing  to  write  these  words,  and  as  they  have 
a  sort  of  traditional  or  historic  importance,  their  use  will  probably 
be  continued  until  a  few  leaders  in  the  literary  world  shall 
effectually  protest  against  the  foolish  practice. 

Of  course  it  is  improper  to  write  Mr.  John  Smith,  Esqr. 
Either  the  Mr.  or  the  Esq.  should  be  omitted.  In  writing  to 
persons  of  distinction,  who  have  no  proper  claim  to  any  other 
title,  the  word  Esquire  should  be  written  in  full ;  and  it  is  usual 
and  proper  to  add,  &c.,  (Sec,  &c. ;  as,  Wendell  Phillips,  Esquire, 
(Sec.,  &c.,  &c. ;  James  Gordon  Bennett,  Esquire,  &c.,  &c.,  &c. 

It  is  highly  improper  to  prefix  a  term  of  endearment  to  the 
name  addressed  when  no  such  endearment  is,  or  has  been 
established  between  the  parties ;  as,  Eear  Hopkins,  or  Friend 
Johnson.  It  is  offensive  assumption  of  familiarity,  where  no 
particular  friendship  has  been  recognized  by  the  other  party. 
Even  Dear  Sir,  or  Mi/  dear  Sir,  is  not  the  proper  language  to  be 
used  in  the  commencement  of  a  business  correspondence. 

After  an  exchange  of  a  few  letters  by  the  parties,  more 
famiharity  may  be  indulged.  At  first  it  should  be,  Edivard 
Hopkins,     Sir,  —  dropping  the  Sir  down  a  line,  and  writing  it  as 


Chap.  I.]  ADDRESS.— NAMES  AND  ADDITIONS.  43 

far  to  the  left  as  you  intend  to  begin  all  your  paragraphs.  If 
there  is  considerable  difference  of  age  and  position  of  the  parties, 
let  the  older  and  more  prominent  of  the  two  lead  in  the  use  of 
such  expressions. 

The  title  Bev.  belongs  as  a  prefix  to  the  name  of  a  clergyman, 
and  should  not  be  omitted  ;  and  if  he  has  received  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity  from  any  literary  institution  authorized  to 
confer  this  degree,  Bev.  Dr.  is  the  proper  prefix,  even  though  your 
letter  be  of  a  business  character. 

If  a  person  holds  a  professional  or  military  position,  the  appro- 
priate title  should  be  prefixed  to  the  name ;  thus,  Pres.  Francis 
Waylancl ;  Prof.  Samuel  Olmsted;  Dr.  George  Sherwood;  Maj. 
Gen.  Winfield  Scott ;  Col.  George  Clark  ;  Ca^t.  E.  S.  Curtis. 

His  Excellency  is  the  proper  style  of  prefix  to  the  name  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  the  Governor  of  any  State,  an  Am-" 
bassador  from  this  to  any  foreign  country,  or  from  a  foreign  coun- 
try to  this  country ;  thus,  His  Excellency  U.  S.  Grant,  President 
of  the  United  States ;  His  Excellency  John  T.  Hoffman,  Governor 
of  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  title  Honorable,  usually  abbreviated  to  Hon.,  is  properly 
prefixed  to  the  names  of  members  of  either  House  of  Congress, 
the  members  of  any  State  Senate,  Judges  of  Courts  of  Eecord,  and 
Mayors  of  cities. 

Following  the  name  with  title  prefixed  will  be  the  word  or 
words  of  address,  placed  on  the  line  below  that  on  which  the 
name  is  written.  The  proper  words  to  be  used  for  the  address 
will  depend  on  the  official  or  professional  position  of  the  party 
addressed.  If  he  is  a  president  of  a  college,  for  instance,  it  would 
be  proper  to  address  by  the  word  Sir  ;  if  a  clergyman,  Bev.  Sir ; 
if  a  military  character.  General,  Colonel,  Captain ;  if  a  governor. 
Your  Excellency,  or  Governor,  or  Sir ;  if  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  Your  Excellency,  or  Mr.  President ;  if  a  member  of  Con- 
gi'ess,  Sir  would  be  proper. 

Although  this  work  is  designed  more  especially  as  a  guide  for 
the  business  student,  it  may  be  well  to  give  a  few  forms  of  address 
proper  to  be  used  in  social  and  friendly  correspondence.  For  this 
purpose,  the  following  remarks  and  copious  list  are  copied  from 


44  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED,  [Part  I. 

pages  212,  213  of  Kerl's  Composition  and  Ehetoric,  —  a  most  ex- 
cellent work,  and  one  whicli  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every 
business  student. 

The  author  says  :  "  Much  nice  judgment  can  sometimes  be  dis- 
played in  regard  to  the  complimentary  address  and  the  closing 
expression  of  regard ;  and  most  of  your  correspondents  will  be 
apt  to  scrutinize  these  items  carefully,  in  judging  of  your  regard 
for  them.  The  introductory  address  [the  address  proper]  and  the 
closing  compliment  should  correspond  to  each  other,  without  being 
tautological  or  inconsistent ;  and  the  introductory  address  should 
not  be  inconsistent  with  the  address  on  the  envelope.  For  in- 
stance, if  I  should  write  My  dear  Friend,  I  would  rather  close 
with  Yours  tridij  than  with  Your  friend,  or  Yours  respectfully. 

"  Betwixt  relatives,  the  names  denoting  the  relationship  are  gen- 
erally preferred  for  the  complimentary  address  and  the  compli- 
mentary close,  though  some  persons  frequently  use  other  familiar 
expressions. 

"  In  writing  to  persons  with  whom  you  are  not  well  acquainted, 
say  Sir,  Madam,  Mrs.  A.  B.,  Miss  C.  D.,  rather  than  Dear  Sir, 
Dear  Madam,  etc.  Dear  implies  that  the  parties  are  at  least 
acquainted;  though  an  overflowing  philanthropy  or  admiration 
sometimes  justifies  the  use  of  it  in  other  cases. 

"  My,  when  fixed  to  any  complimentary  address,  adds  a  delicate 
shade  of  meaning  to  it,  and  suggests  greater  intimacy  or  affection. 
Between  equals  of  the  different  sexes  a  little  more  reserve  seems 
to  be  proper  than  between  equals  of  the  same  sex. 

"  Such  forms  as  Sir,  Dear  Sir,  My  dear  Sir,  Madam,  Dear  Madam, 
Dear  Miss,  Gentlemen,  Ladies,  My  dear  Father,  My  dear  Mother,  My 
dear  Brother,  My  dear  Sister,  Dear  Henry,  Dear  Mary,  My  dear 
Mary,  Dearest  Kate,  Friend  Jones,  Dear  Jones,  My  dear  Aunt,  My 
dear  Cousin,  My  dear  Husband,  My  dear  Wife,  Dear  Mrs.  Jones, 
Dear  Miss  Jones,  My  dear  and  honored  Father,  My  dearly  beloved 
Mother,  are  the  most  common." 

Custom,  convenience,  and  safety  of  transmission  of  letters  re- 
quire that,  in  addressing  married  women,  the  titles  and  Christian 
names  of  their  husbands  should  be  used ;  as,  Mrs.  Daniel  Hoi- 
brook ;  Mrs,  Dr.  S.  M.  Campbell ;  Mrs.  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont, 


Chap.  L]  ADDRESS.— NAMES  AND  ADDITIONS.  45 

The  following  extracts  from  a  little  English  work  on  letter- 
writing,  giving  the  style  of  address  to  distinguished  persons  in 
Great  Britain,  though  of  not  much  practical  consequence  in  this 
country,  may  interest  the  student. 

I.    THE   QUEEN. 

/■  To  the  Queen's  Most  Excellent  Majesty. 
■I  Most  Gracious  Sovereign  :  — 
(  May  it  please  your  Majesty :  — 

II.    THE    SONS    AND    DAUGHTERS,   BROTHERS    AND    SISTERS,    OF 
SOVEREIGNS. 
{  To  His  Koyal  Highness,  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
•<  To  Her  Royal  Highness,  the  Duchess  of  Cambridge. 
(  Sir :  —  Madam :  —  May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness  :  — 

III.    OTHER  BRANCHES   OF  THE  ROYAL  FAMILY. 

/■  To  His  Royal  Highness,  the  Duke  of  Cambridge. 
■}  To  Her  Highness,  the  Princess  Mary  of  Cambridge. 
(  Sir :  —  Madam :  —  May  it  please  your  Highness :  — 

IV.    THE  NOBILITY. 

1.  A  Duke  or  Duchess. 

To  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Bedford. 
To  Her  Grace  the  Duchess  of  Bedford. 

My  Lord:  —  My  Lady:  —  May  it  please  your  Lordship: — May  it  please 
your  Grace :  — 

2.  A  Marquis  or  Marchioness, 

To  the  Most  Noble^  the  Marquis  of  Westminster. 
To  the  Most  Noble,  the  Marchioness  of  Westminster. 
My  Lord:  —  My  Lady:  —  May  it  please  your  Lordship:  —  May  it  please 
your  Ladyship,  — 

3.  An  Earl  or  Countess. 
The  same  as  a  Marquis  or  Marchioness,  only  prefixing  Right  Honorable. 

4.  A  Viscount  or  Viscountess. 
'  To  the  Right  Honorable  Viscount  Lifford. 
To  the  Right  Honorable  Viscountess  Lifford. 
My  Lord,  —  My  Lady,  — 
May  it  please  your  Lordship,  — May  it  please  your  Ladyship,  — 


46  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

The  widow  of  a  Nobleman  is  addressed  in  the  same  style,  with  the  addition 
of  the  word  Dowager ,  as,  To  the  Right  Honorable,  the  Dowager  Countess  of 
Chesterfield. 

The  sons  of  Dukes  or  Marquises,  and  the  oldest  sons  of  Earls,  have,  by- 
courtesy,  the  titles  of  Lord,  and  Right  Honorable ;  and  all  the  daughters  have 
those  of  Lady,  and  Right  Honorable. 

The  younger  sons  of  Earls,  and  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Viscounts  and 
Barons,  are  styled  Honorable. 

V.    OFFICIAL  MEMBERS   OF  THE   STATE. 

1.  A  member  of  Her  Majesty's  Most  Honorable  Privy  Council. 

C  To  the  Right  Honorable,  the  Earl  of  Winchelsea,  Her  Majesty's  Principal 
<  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs. 

(  Sir,  ^-My  Lord,  -^  Right  Honorable  Sir,  — 

2.  Ambassadors  and  Governors  under  Her  Majesty. 

(  To  His  Excellency  the  French  (or  other)  Ambassador. 

\  Sir,  —  if  a  lord,  Aly  Lord,  —  May  it  please  your  Excellency,  — 

3.  Judges. 

(  To  the  Right  Honorable Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England. 

(  My  Lord,  —  May  it  please  your  Lordship,  — 

4.  Lord  Mayors, 

The  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  York,  and  Dublin,  and  the  Lord  Provost  of 
Edinburgh,  are  to  be  addressed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  judges,  prefixing 
Right  Honorable  to  the  name,  and  then  giving  the  official  position. 

Address  :  My  Lord,  —  May  it  please  your  Lordship,  — 

The  Lord  Provost  of  every  other  town  in  Scotland  is  styled  Honorable. 

Excepting  the  Lord  Mayors  and  Provosts  already  mentioned,  Mayors  of 
all  corporations,  the  Sheriffs,  Aldermen,  and  Recorder  of  London,  are  addressed 
Right  Worshipful.  The  Aldermen  and  Recorders  of  other  corporations,  and 
Justices  of  the  Peace,  are  addressed  Worshipful. 


3.  PUNCTUATION.  —  For  the  purpose  of  defining  the  distinction 
between  the  names  and  additions  placed  before  the  address,  and 
the  words  of  address  themselves,  considerable  has  already  been 
said  on  the  subject  of  punctuating  these  items.  In  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  letters  to  be  seen  in  any  merchant's  counting-room, 
these  items  are  either  not  punctuated  at  all,  or  are  punctuated  in- 


Chap.  I] 


EXAMPLES  OF  PUNCTUATION, 


47 


correctly.  Some  persons  make  no  attempt  whatever  to  punctuate 
them,  —  others  make  an  unintelligible  and  inappropriate  dash  or 
two,  —  and  others  still  place  a  comma  where  a  semicolon,  colon, 
or  a  period  belongs. 

It  is  not  intended  to  give  in  this  place  rules  for  punctuating 
these  items;  but  to  furnish  the  student  with  a  few  examples, 
and  such  as,  it  is  believed,  the  best  usage  sanctions.  It  may  be 
proper  to  remark,  however,  that,  as  already  stated,  there  is  a  dis- 
crepancy between  the  English  and  American  style  of  punctuating 
these  items.  So  there  is  some  latitude  of  discretion  allowable. 
The  author  prefers,  altogether,  the  English  style  ;  and  for  reasons 
already  given.  But  they  differ  only  in  the  point  placed  after  the 
names,  before  the  address ;  the  English  placing  a  period  there, 
which  implies  that  they  regard  the  name  or  names,  grammatically, 
in  the  third  person,  and  consequently  no  part  of  the  address. 

EXAMPLES    OF   PUNCTUATION. 


No.l. 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

9W, 

No.  4 


No.  5. 

Oh-tinaiittJ,  «jLl/. 


No.  6. 

o/fcciv.  cnw  oeo/t/   iji'v,  —— 


48 


THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED. 


[Part  I. 


No.  7. 


No.  8. 

g^iof. 

q).  ^\D.    cTvooo-ie, 

^iuv.   drotnta£   SPoLo^, 

^mi^tEaa^ailL,   dS*. 

%■ 

@ 

&a/t  ai-t/: 

If  the  title  Jlfr.,  Messrs.,  or  JIfrs.  be  used,  the  period  must  be 
suffixed,  to  show  that  it  is  an  abbreviation  of  a  word  for  which  it 
stands.  Mess,  should  never  be  used  for  Messrs.  It  is  in  bad 
taste.     It  is  but  an  abbreviation  of  an  abbreviation. 

If  you  cannot  afford  to  write  Gentlemen  or  Sir  in  full,  omit 
them  altogether.  N'ever  write  Gent,  nor  Gents.,  nor  Sr.  for  Sir. 
Although  Gent,  is  used  occasionally,  and  even  justified  by  good 
authority,  it  is  abrupt,  and  often  offends.  Never  write  Dr.  for 
Bear,  before  Sir.  Your  correspondent  will  hardly  believe  himself 
very  dear  to  you,  if  you  cannot  afford  to  write  so  short  a  word  in 
full 

QUESTIONS    ON   SECTION  V. 
Address. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  How  is  it  divided  ? 

3.  Where  do  some  persons  place  the  names  ? 

4.  Give  examples  of  mistakes. 

5.  What  appearance  do  such  blunders  give  ? 

6.  On  what  line  should  the  names  commence  ? 

7.  Where  should  they  be  placed  with  reference  to  the  marginal  guide-line? 

8.  If  a  title  is  prefixed,  where  should  it  be  placed  ? 

9.  What  is  a  departure  from  good  usage  ? 

10.  What  is  the  student  apt  to  imitate  ? 

11.  What  should  be  borne  in  mind  ? 

12.  What  is  an  unusual  number  of  partnership  names? 

13.  If  more  than  three,  by  what  are  they  represented  ? 

14.  WTiat  if  there  are  too  many  names  for  one  line  ? 

15.  Where  should  the  word  gentlemen  begin  ? 

16.  What  is  the  rule  about  beginning  paragraphs? 

1 7.  If  the  names  are  omitted  at  the  beginning,  where  should  they  be  placed  ? 

18.  Wliat  is  the  English  style  generally? 


Chap.  I]  QUESTIONS  ON  THE  ADDRESS.  /-^       49 

19.  What  the  American,  in  official  letters? 

20.  Give  an  example.  ., : 

21.  Where  do  business  men  in  this  country  place  the  names?  ' 

22.  What  is  said  about  uniformity  of  practice? 

23.  Where  is  the  complimentary  address  always  placed  ? 

24.  What  is  the  complimentary  address  ? 

25.  What  is  meant  by  additions  to  names  ? 

26.  Why  is  it  necessary  to  give  the  residence  ? 

27.  What  is  said  about  the  names  being  any  part  of  the  address  proper? 

28.  What  do  they  show? 

29.  In  what  person,  grammatically,  are  the  names  ? 

30.  By  what  point  should  they  be  followed  ? 

31.  In  what  person  is  the  address? 

32.  By  what  point  should  it  be  followed  ? 

33.  What  is  understood  in  writing  the  names  ? 

34.  Give  an  example,  supplying  what  is  understood  ? 

35.  Give  another  having  but  one  name  ? 

36.  What  is  the  word  of  address  after  two  or  more  names  ? 

37.  What  is  the  meaning  of  Messrs.  ? 

38.  Why  should  the  names  have  a  period  after  them  ? 

39.  When  is  it  proper  to  address  Sir,  or  Dear  Sir? 

40.  Why  is  it  not  tautological  ? 

41.  What  point  do  the  English  place  after  the  names? 

42.  Wliat  is  the  American  practice  ? 

43.  Which  is  preferable  ? 

44.  Why? 

45.  Why  is  this  difference  ? 

46.  If  you  do  not  place  a  period  at  the  end  of  the  names,  what  about  the 
complimentary  address  ? 

47.  What  is  the  only  correct  course  ? 

48.  What  is  Esquire  used  for  ? 

49.  Is  it  used  in  the  plural  ? 

50.  What  did  it  signify  in  its  origin  ? 

51.  What  does  it  now  signify? 

52.  Wliy  not  omit  it  altogether? 

53.  How  many  classes  in  England  are  entitled  to  it  ? 

54.  What  is  the  first  class?     The  second?     Third?     Fourth?     Fifth? 

55.  What  did  the  word  gentleman  originally  signify  ? 

56.  What  is  the  custom  in  this  country  in  using  the  word  Esquire  t 

57.  Why  not  prefix  Mr.  and  suffix  Esquire  ? 

58.  Who  are  called  gentlemen  in  this  country  ? 

59.  Why  has  it  ceased  to  be  really  complimentary? 

60.  Why  is  Esquire  complimentary  in  form  only? 

61.  When  is  it  improper  to  prefix  the  word  friend  to  the  address? 


50  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

62.  When,  the  word  dear  before  sir  or  the  name  ? 

63.  To  whom  does  the  title  Reverend  belong  ? 

64.  Name  some  other  titles. 

65.  What  is  the  proper  prefix  to  the  name  of  the  President,  or  a  governor  ? 

66.  To  the  name  of  an  ambassador? 

67.  To  the  name  of  a  member  of  Congress,  State  Senate,  or  a  Judge? 

68.  After  the  name  and  title  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  or  a 
governor,  how  is  he  to  be  addressed  ? 

69.  In  punctuating  the  names,  what  is  the  English  style? 

70.  What  the  American  ? 

71.  Go  to  the  blackboard,  and  write  and  punctuate  example  No.  1. 

72.  How  many  commas  are  there  ? 

73.  Where  are  they  ? 

*  74.  How  many  periods,  and  where  ? 

75.  How  is  the  address  punctuated  ? 

76.  Write  each  of  the  other  examples,  and  answer  the  same  questions  about 
them? 

77.  Why  do  you  sufiix  a  period  to  Mr.,  Messrs.,  or  Mrs.? 

78.  What  abbreviations  are  you  not  to  use? 


SECTION   VI. 

BODY   OF  THE  LETTER. 

BLACKBOARD   EXERCISE. 
i  1.  Where  to  begin. 

6.  Body  of  theXetter.  j  i.  Definition. 

(  2.  Paragraphs.  |  2.  "When  to  be  used. 
(  3.  "Where  to  begin. 

Two  things  with  regard  to  the  hody  of  the  letter  require  special 
attention,  as  they  modify,  in  a  great  degree,  its  mechanical 
appearance.     These  are :  The  place  to  begin,  and  the  Paragraphs. 

1.  WHERE  TO  BEGIN If  the  names  and  additions  occupy  two  or 

more  lines,  the  address,  we  have  seen,  should  be  placed  on  the 
first  line  below  them.  Immediately  after  this,  and  on  the  same 
line,  the  body  of  the  letter  should  begin.  The  first  letter  of  the 
address  should  be  written  the  same  distance  to  the  right  of  the 
marginal    line  that    you    intend    to    commence  all  the   other 


Chap.  L]  BODY  OF  TEE  LETTER.  5I 

paragraphs;    say,  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch,  or  an  inch. 
Your  address,  bear  in  mind,  is  the  beginning  of  a  paragrapli. 
Thus:  — 


If  there  is  but  a  single  name,  and  the  residence  is  written  on 
the  same  hne  with  it,  write  the  address  on  the  next  line  below. 
In  such  case,  begin  the  body  of  the  letter  on  the  next  line  below 
that,  or  the  third  from  the  heading.  Begin  it  as  far  to  the  right 
as  you  would  if  it  followed  on  the  same  line  with  the  address, 
regarding  the  address  always  as  the  beginning  of  a  paragraph. 

Thus : 

The  object  of  this  arrangement  is,  to  leave  a  liberal  space  at 
the  right,  under  the  heading,  so  as  to  make  the  name  and  address 
conspicuous.  The  open  space  under  the  heading  will  thus  be  the 
same  as  it  would  if  two  lines  were  given  to  names  and  additions, 
and  the  address  and  beginning  were  both  on  the  next  line  below 
them. 

If  the  names  and  additions  are  not  placed  near  the  head  of  your 
letter,  but  at  the  foot,  according  to  the  English  style,  and  that  of 
official  letters  in  this  comitry,  place  the  words  of  address  on 
the  first  line  below  the  heading,  and  begin  your  letter  on  the  line 
below  that. 


52  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

Thus:  — 

As  the  names  and  additions  are  grammatically  in  the  third 
person,  it  is  improper  to  omit  words  of  address ;  as,  Gentlemen, 
Sir,  Dear  Sir,  &c.  They  belong  in  every  letter,  whether  the 
names  are  placed  at  the  head  or  the  foot.  It  is  abrupt  to  begin 
without  them. 

Never  extend  the  words  of  address  so  far  to  the  right  that  you 
cannot  get  more  than  a  word  or  two  of  the  body  of  the  letter 
on  the  same,  or  the  next  line.  The  following  would  be  a  very 
awkward  arrangement:  — 

o^ -t^e  j9u^^  u^.  nod  iefnacneco  unan^tueiec/  tc^i^t,  ^c. 

Look  at  the  following  arrangement,  and  decide  as  to  which  you 
prefer,  —  the  one  above  or  this. 

Q4eiu-  ^7u/a?2/,    ^onn.,   Q^u^aa^J^,   ^§7^. 


Chap.  I.]  BODY  OF  THE  LETTER,  53 

2.  PARAGRAPHS.  —  1.  Definition.  —  A  paragraph  indicates  thq  be- 
ginning of  a  new  subject,  or  a  distinctive  division  of  the  same 
general  subject.  In  published  essays  they  are  often  numbered, 
either  by  figures  or  letters ;  as,  1,  2,  3,  4 ;  or,  I,  II,  III,  IV.  The 
figures  are  usually  used  to  mark  the  minor  divisions,  or  paragraphs 
of  paragraphs ;  the  letters  marking  the  more  important  or  chief 
divisions  of  the  main  subject.  You  can  find  an  illustration  of 
this  in  almost  any  school-book. 

But  paragraphs  are  not  always  marked  by  figures  or  letters, 
even  in  printed  matter  ;  and  very  rarely  in  business  letters.  The 
printers  usually  call  them  indentations  or  breaks. 

2.  Wlien  to  be  used.  —  The  paragraph  should  always  be  used 
when  there  is  a  reasonable  excuse  for  it.  It  is  like  a  mile-post, 
landmark,  or  stopping-place  on  a  journey.  It  makes  a  letter  look 
much  better;  giving  to  the  page  an  open,  cheerful  appearance. 
It  bears  the  same  relation  to  a  letter  that  a  head  does  to  a  sermon 
or  a  room  does  to  a  house. 

Lord  Chesterfield  says:  "Every  paragraph  should  contain 
within  it  the  complete  relation  of  an  incident,  or  a  distinct 
statement  of  some  kind,  having  no  relation  to  the  statement 
which  follows,  and  which  latter  wiU  properly  form  another 
paragTaph." 

In  modern  practice  the  paragraph  is  used  with  more  frequency 
than  the  foregoing  rule  would  require.  It  is  often  used,  or  the 
break  is  made,  where  the  incident  or  statement  does  have  rela- 
tion to  what  follows,  and  forms  the  matter  for  another  para- 
graph. 

The  advantage  of  frequent  paragraphs  is  realized  by  reference 
to  any  letter  of  considerable  length  containing  them.  If  one 
desires  to  refer  to  his  correspondent's  letter  to  ascertain  what  he 
said  on  some  particular  point,  if  the  letter  is  unbroken  by  para- 
graphs, he  may  have  to  read  all  through  it  before  finding  what  he 
looks  for. 

Care  should  be  taken,  however,  that  proper  discrimination  be 
exercised  in  the  use  of  the  paragraph.  It  may  be  used  with  too 
great  frequency;  giving  your  letter  a  broken,  fragmentary  ap- 
pearance of  disjointed  and  disconnected  sentences. 


54  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED,  [Part  I. 

3.  Where  to  begin.  —  The  first  word  of  a  paragrapli,  as  we  have 
seen,  begins  farther  to  the  right  than  the  beginning  of  the  other 
lines,  leaving  a  little  space  at  the  left,  between  the  first  letter  and 
the  true  margin.  What  is  printed  here  is  a  paragraph  of  five 
lines. 

All  paragTaphs  should  begin  at  the  same  distance  from  the 
marginal  line.  That  distance  may  be  greater  or  less,  according 
to  your  taste.  An  inch  looks  very  well  on  a  page  of  usual  letter 
size.  An  inch  and  a  half,  or  even  two  inches,  does  not  look  bad. 
The  address  is  the  beginning  of  a  paragraph.  If  note-paper  is 
used,  of  course  the  distance  may  be  less.  But  whatever  the  dis- 
tance, let  it  be  uniform. 

Your  sheet  looks  much  neater  when  this  distance  is  carefully 
observed  in  every  paragraph.  If  you  will  write  a  page  of  letter- 
sheet,  dividing  it  into  three,  four,  or  five  paragraphs,  following 
these  directions  ;  and  then  wTite  the  same  matter,  making  no 
paragi-aphs,  or  beginning  them  at  unequal  distances,  the  contrast 
wdll  convince  you  that  this  subject  is  one  that  deserves  attention. 

By  a  little  practice  the  eye  will  measure  the  distance  with  tol- 
erable accuracy. 

QUESTIONS    ON   SECTION   VL 

Body  of  the  Letter. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  What  are  its  two  divisions  ? 

3.  How  do  you  place  it  on  the  blackboard  ? 

4.  Where  should  the  address  be  placed? 

5.  Wliere  should  the  body  of  the  letter  begin  in  such  case  ? 

6.  Wliere  should  the  first  letter  of  the  address  be? 

7.  If  the  address  is  on  the  second  line  below  the  heading,  where  do  you 
begin  the  body  ? 

8.  How  far  to  the  right  of  the  address? 

9.  Wliat  begins  the  first  paragraph  ? 

10.  Place  an  example  on  the  blackboard. 

11.  What  is  the  object  of  this  arrangement? 

1 2.  If  the  names  are  at  the  foot,  where  is  the  address  ? 

13.  Then  where  do  you  begin  the  body? 

14.  Give  an  example  on  the  blackboard. 


Chap.  L]  CONCLUSION.  55 

1 5.  Wliat  belongs  in  every  letter  ? 

16.  Why? 

17.  What  is  said  about  extending  the  address  far  to  the  right? 

18.  Give  an  objectionable  example. 

19.  Give  a  proper  one. 

20.  Which  do  you  prefer  ? 

21.  What  is  a  paragraph? 

22.  How  are  they  sometimes  marked  in  print? 

23.  What  do  printers  call  them  ? 

24.  When  should  you  use  the  paragraph  ? 

25.  What  is  the  paragraph  compared  to  ? 

26.  How  does  it  improve  a  page  ? 

27.  What  is  Lord  Chesterfield's  rule  ? 

28.  What  is  said  about  this  rule  ? 

29.  What  is  the  advantage  of  frequent  paragraphs  ? 

30.  What  care  should  be  taken  about  their  use  ? 

31.  If  used  too  frequently,  what  is  the  appearance  ? 

32.  Where  should  the  first  word  of  a  paragraph  begin? 

33.  What  should  be  their  distances  from  the  marginal  line,  with  reference 
to  each  other  ? 

34.  What  their  absolute  distance  ? 

35.  What  is  the  beginning  of  the  first  paragraph  of  a  letter? 

36.  If  note-paper  is  used,  what  is  the  rule? 

37.  Of  what  will  a  letter  written  with,  and  another  without  paragraphs 
convince  one? 

SECTION    VII. 

CONCLUSION. 

BLACKBOARD   EXERCISE. 
1.  Position. 


7.  Conclusion. 


2.  Language. 

3.  Signature. 

4.  Punctuation. 


This  subject  may  be  considered  under  the  following  divisions : 
1.  Position  ;  2.  Language  ;  3.  Signature  ;  and  4.  Punctuation. 

1.  POSITION.  — The  Conclusion  should  be  placed  at  the  foot  of 
the  letter,  and  to  the  right,  corresponding,  in  horizontal  arrange- 
ment, somewhat  to  that  of  the  heading.     It  should  begin  a  little 


56  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

to  the  right,  but  near  the  middle  of  the  first  line  below  the  body 
of  the  letter,  provided  there  are  but  two  or  three  words  of  regard, 
thus:  — 

•^c/ei/u''  -^u/u/  'uouia. 


It  does  not  look  well,  to  sidle  off  in  the  following  manner, 
occupying  four  or  five  lines  before  the  signature :  — 

Such  a  display  has  the  appearance  of  affectation  and  extreme 
formality.  It  seems  to  almost  disconnect  the  signature  from  the 
body  of  the  letter.  It  is  allowable  in  official  letters  only,  where 
strict  formality  is  generally  adopted.  If  detached  from  the  body 
of  the  letter,  the  expressions  of  regard  should  occupy  but  a  line 
or  two ;  and,  if  extended  to  the  second  line,  the  words  on  that 
line  should  begin  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  beginning  on  the 
first ;  the  signature  reaching  nearly  to  the  end  of  the  third  line, 
thus :  — 

of  aim,,   (S^V 

The  closing  words  of  esteem  need  not  necessarily  be  broken 
into  several  lines  at  aU.  They  may,  if  there  are  enough  to  make 
a  line  or  two,  form  the  concluding  paragraph  by  themselves,  giv- 
ing the  appearance  of  being  a  part  of  the  body  of  the  letter, 
thus :  — 


Chap.  I.]  CONCLUSION.  57 

Never  run  down  through  the  middle  of  the  sheet  with  the 
closing  words  of  respect,  and  the  signature,  thus  :  — 

e/ani,  (Ml, 

^czme<f     /ramlcaae. 

It  may  be  unnecesary  to  caution  you  against  such  blunders  in 
concluding  a  letter  ;  but  they  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  Indeed, 
it  would  be  gratifying  to  believe  that  no  one,  after  reading  this 
admonition,  would  commit  this  mistake  in  the  very  next  letter 
he  writes. 

2.  LANGUAGE. — The  language  of  the  closing  compliments  should 
be  governed  entirely  by  the  relations,  business  or  social,  of  the 
parties  to  each  other.  What  might  be  perfectly  proper  in  one 
case  would  be  quite  improper  and  offensively  familiar  in  another. 

If  the  parties  have  merely  a  business  acquaintance,  and  the 
letter  is  of  a  business  character,  such  language  as  the  following, 
or  similar  terms,  may  be  employed:  Yours,  &c.;  Yours  truly ; 
Truly  yours  ;  Very  truly  yours  ;  Yours  respectfully  ;  Respectfully 
yours;  Very  respectfully  yours;  Your  oledient  servant;  Your 
obedient  httmhle  servant. 

When  the  business  acquaintance  has  been  of  long  standing,  of 
uniform  good  faith,  and  it  may  be  presumed  to  have  ripened 
into  confidence  and  friendship,  it  is  proper  to  use  expressions 
significant  of  that  relation,  thus  :  /  am,  dear  Sir,  faithfully 
yours;  Your  very  devoted  humhle  servant;  Believe  me,  sincerely, 
your  ohedient  humhle  servant;  etc.,  etc. 

3.  SIGNATURE.  —  Of  course  this  is  the  last  item  written  in  a  let- 
ter. Great  care  should  be  taken  to  acquire  the  habit  of  writing 
this  with  unmistakable  legibility.  Everything  should  be  plainly 
WTitten  in  a  letter ;  but  the  signature  should  be  conspicuously 
clear  and  plain.  By  practice,  it  will  soon  be  your  settled  habit  to 
write  every  letter  so  that  it  cannot  be  mistaken  for  some  other. 

Joseph  Bunnell  wrote  a  letter  to  a  stranger  on  important  busi- 
ness, that  required  immediate  attention.     The  signature  was  tan- 
3* 


58  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

gled  and  illegible.  The  stranger  promptly  answered  the  letter, 
making  some  inquiries  in  reference  to  the  business,  and  directed 
his  reply  to  Jaspher  Barrett.  This  letter  was  not  called  for.  No 
such  man  was  known  to  the  postmaster  at  the  place  where  it  was 
directed.  In  due  time  the  letter  was  forwarded  to  the  Dead 
Letter  Office ;  the  business  in  the  mean  time  was  neglected ;  the 
letter  was  finally  returned  to  the  writer.  But  Joseph  Bunnell  lost 
several  thousand  dollars  by  the  blunder.  Hundreds  of  similar 
instances  occur  every  week  in  the  year. 

The  signature  should  also  be  written  in  a  somewhat  larger, 
bolder  hand  than  the  body  of  the  letter.  This  gives  the  ad- 
vantage of  not  only  reading  it  more  readily,  but  in  case  of  illegi- 
bility, it  will  be  easier  to  decipher  it. 

Be  sure  to  write  all  proper  names  conspicuously  clear  and  plain. 
The  student  must  bear  in  mind  that,  as  names  signify  nothing, 
it  is  more  difficult  to  read  them,  when  illegible  in  the  least 
degree,  than  to  read  words  that  may  frequently  be  inferred  from 
their  connections. 

One  thing  more  ought  to  be  said  here.  Be  sure  that  you 
subscribe  your  name  to  your  letter.  This  may  seem  useless 
caution ;  but  probably  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  letters 
are  dropped  into  the  post-office  every  year,  in  the  United  States, 
having  no  name  subscribed.  The  writers,  in  each  case,  forget  this 
part  of  the  business. 

To  convince  you  that  this  caution  is  by  no  means  useless,  it 
may  be  stated  that  in  the  year  1871  over  five  thousand  letters 
were  opened  at  the  Dead  Letter  Office,  in  Washington,  to  which 
there  were  no  signatures.  These,  be  it  remembered,  were  but  a 
small  fraction  of  their  class. 

There  is  one  business  house  in  the  city  of  Eochester  that  re- 
ceives hundreds  of  letters  every  year,  and  with  money  enclosed, 
to  which  there  are  no  signatures.  If  the  letter  has  a  proper  head- 
ing, or  the  post-mark  happens  to  be  legible,  which  is  a  rare  occur- 
rence, the  business  house  may  possibly  trace  out  the  mystery. 
But  if  neither  of  these  circumstances  is  favorable,  the  writer  will 
be  pretty  sure  to  lose  his  money,  unless  he  writes  another  letter 
inquiring  after  the  first. 


Chap.  I.]  QUESTIONS  ON  CONCLUSION.  59 

4.  PUNCTUATION.  —  As  punctuation  will  be  the  subject  of  a  sec- 
tion by  itself  in  Part  Second,  it  is  only  necessary  to  give  two  or 
three  examples  here  for  punctuating  the  conclusion  of  a  letter. 
It  is  just  as  necessary  to  properly  point  this  part  of  your  letter, 
as  the  heading,  name,  address,  or  body  of  it.  Business  men  are 
not  aU  scholars  ;  nor  is  this  necessary  or  expected  of  them. 

But  there  is  no  need  of  their  making  blunders,  all  their  lives, 
in  the  little  items  that  give  a  letter  the  proper  finish.  They  can 
be  learned  in  a  few  hours  at  longest.  A  little  attention  is  aU 
that  is  necessary.  If  they  do  not  understand  even  the  rudiments 
of  English  grammar,  by  a  little  practice  they  can  learn  to  punc- 
tuate the  principal  parts  of  a  letter. 

In  the  conclusion  of  a  letter,  only  the  comma  and  period  are 
used.  The  comma  punctuates  the  terms  of  respect,  and  the  pe- 
riod the  name.  The  initial  letters  of  the  name,  if  initials  are 
used,  and  all  abbreviations,  as  Geo.  for  George,  are  followed  by  the 
period ;  and  it  is  placed  at  the  end  of  the  name,  thus  :  — 

Yours  very  truly,  George  H,  Pendleton.  Faithfully  yours,  J.  Q. 
Adams.  Your  obedient  humble  servant,  Geo.  Washington.  Believe 
me,  very  truly,  gentlemen,  your  obedient  humble  servant,  Chas.  Owen. 

QUESTIONS    ON   SECTION   VIL 

Conclusion. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  How  many  parts  is  it  divided  into  ? 

3.  What  are  they  ? 

4.  Where  should  the  conclusion  be  written  ? 
6.  Where  should  it  begin  ? 

6.  What  is  said  about  occupying  four  or  five  lines  for  words  of  respect? 

7.  Write  such  an  example  on  the  board. 

8.  What  appearance  does  this  present  ? 

9.  In  what  cases  is  it  allowable  ? 

10.  How  many  lines  should  the  words  of  regard  occupy? 

1 1 .  Where  should  the  second  line  begin  ? 

1 2.  Where  should  the  signature  be  written  ? 

13.  Will  you  write  an  example? 

14.  When  may  the  closing  words  be  written  as  a  part  of  the  body  of  the 
letter? 


go  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

15.  What  is  said  about  closing  in  the  middle  of  the  lines? 

16.  By  what  should  the  language  of  the  close  be  governed? 

1 7.  In  case  of  merely  business  acquaintance,  what  should  it  be  ? 

18.  When  is  it  proper  to  use  stronger  terms? 

19.  Give  some  examples. 

20.  What  is  the  signature  ? 

21.  What  is  said  about  its  legibility? 

22.  What  case  is  given  showing  the  importance  of  legibility? 

23.  Why  should  the  signature  be  in  a  bolder  hand  than  the  body  of  the 
letter? 

24.  What  care  should  be  used  in  writing  proper  names  ? 

25.  Why? 

26.  What  is  said  about  omitting  the  signature  ? 

27.  How  many  letters  without  signature  ^ent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  in 
1871? 

28.  AVhat  is  said  on  this  subject  about  a  Rochester  business  house? 

29.  What  is  said  about  punctuating  the  conclusion? 

30.  What  points  only  are  used  in  the  closing? 

31.  What  part  does  the  comma  punctuate? 

32.  What  part  does  the  period  ? 
83.  How  are  initials  punctuated? 

34.  How  are  abbreviations  ? 

35.  Give  some  examples  of  both  on  the  board. 


SECTION    VIII. 

FOLDING. 

BLACKBOARD    EXERCISE. 

C 1.  Prom  the  bottom. 
8.  Folding.  ]  2,  Right  to  left. 
(  3.  Left  to  right. 

Mechanically  your  letter  is  now  finished.  The  next  thing  to 
be  done  is,  to  properly  and  carefully  fold  it  for  the  envelope. 

This  may  seem  to  you  a  matter  so  trivial  as  scarcely  to  deserve 
attention.  Yet  a  lesson  on  this  subject  alone  may  be  given  to 
one  hundred  students,  after  which  they  may  be  requested  to  each 
fold  a  letter,  and,  simple  as  the  matter  is,  at  least  half  the  number 
will  make  mistakes.  A  veteran  New  York  merchant  told  the 
author,  but  a  short  time  since,  that  he  had,  in  the  course  of  his 


Chap.  I.]  FOLDING  A  LETTER.  61 

long  business  life,  employed  more  than  a  thousand  clerks ;  and 
that  many  of  them  had  to  be  taught,  over  and  over  again,  how  to 
properly  fold  a  letter. 

If  your  letter  consists  of  two  or  more  pages,  before  folding  it 
be  careful  to  arrange  the  pages  so  that  they  follow  in  consecutive 
order.  If  the  letter  is  letter-sheet  size,  which  is  preferable  for 
business  letters,  there  are  three  distinct  movements  to  be  made 
in  folding :  — 

1.  FROM  THE  BOTTOM.— Turn  the  sheet  up  from  the  bottom,  so 
that  the  lower  and  upper  edges  of  the  sheet  shall  exactly  coincide. 
This  may  be  done  by  placing  corner  to  corner  at  the  left  and  right 
above.  Then,  with  the  left  hand,  hold  the  edges  in  position; 
while  with  a  letter-folder  in  the  right  hand,  or  with  the  hand 
if  you  have  no  folder,  press  down  upon  the  part  of  the  sheet  next 
to  you,  so  as  to  fold  or  break  it,  and  form  a  new  edge  at  the  place 
of  doubling. 

If  the  envelope  is  too  long  for  the  sheet  thus  folded,  the  lower 
edge  should  not  be  turned  up  so  far  as  to  meet  the  upper  edge, 
but  just  far  enough  to  make  the  under  part  of  the  sheet  corre- 
spond to  the  length  of  the  envelope.  This,  it  is  true,  will  make 
your  letter  of  unequal  thickness;  but  that  cannot  be  avoided. 
Hence  you  should  be  careful,  in  selecting  these  materials,  that  they 
are  adapted  to  each  other. 

2.  RIGHT  TO  LEFT The  next  move  is,  to  bring  the  right  edge  of 

your  sheet  in  front  of  you,  and  next  to  your  body.  Turn  the  edge 
now  next  to  you  upward,  so  as  to  form  a  fold  nearly,  though  not 
quite,  the  width  of  the  envelope.  Take  particular  care  that  the 
edges  of  the  last  fold  coincide,  at  the  right  and  left,  wdth  the  con- 
tinuing edges  of  the  sheet.  Break  or  press  down  the  part  thus 
doubled  over,  as  you  did  in  the  first  doubling. 

3.  LEFT  TO  RIGHT.  — In  the  same  manner,  now  double  the  part 
that  was  at  your  left  before  the  second  move,  but  is  now  the  top, 
breaking  it  at  the  upper  edge  of  the  second  fold. 

If  you  have  an  envelope  adapted  to  your  sheet,  your  letter  thus 


62  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

folded  will  exactly  fill  it.  It  will  neither  crowd  the  envelope,  nor 
leave  a  translucent  rim  around  the  edges  of  it.  By  a  little  at- 
tention and  practice,  the  habit  will  soon  be  acquired  of  folding 
w^ith  neatness  and  taste. 

If  you  use  note-paper,  the  width  of  the  folds  should  correspond 
to  the  width  of  the  envelope  to  be  used.  The  lower  edge  of  the 
sheet  must  be  turned  upward,  so  as  to  make  the  fold  nearly  the 
wddth  of  the  envelope ;  and  the  upper  may  then  be  doubled  over 
at  the  upper  line  of  the  first  fold. 

QUESTIONS    ON    SECTION   VIH. 

Folding, 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  How  many  distinct  movements  are  made  in  folding  a  letter  ? 

3.  What  sized  paper  is  preferable  for  business  letters  ? 

4.  What  is  the  first  move  in  folding  ? 

5.  How  do  you  adjust  the  corners  ? 

6.  Wliat  do  you  do  if  the  envelope  is  too  long  ? 

7.  What  care  should  be  used  in  selecting  envelopes  and  paper  ? 

8.  What  is  the  second  move  in  folding  ? 

9.  What  care  should  be  used  in  this  ? 

10.  What  is  the  third  move? 

11.  Where  should  your  sheet  be  broken  in  this? 

12.  What  is  the  object  of  thus  folding? 

13.  How  should  you  fold  if  you  have  a  note-sheet  for  your  letter? 


SECTION    IX. 

INSERTION. 

As  the  folded  letter  now  lies  before  you,  it  is  ready  for  insertion 
in  the  envelope.  Take  your  envelope  in  your  left  hand  with  the 
opening  towards  you,  and  the  letter  in  your  right ;  and,  without 
turning  it,  insert  it  in  the  envelope  in  the  direction  of  the  last 
broken  or  folded  edge ;  that  is,  put  it  in  that  edge  foremost. 

This  direction  is  given  on  account  of  the  usual  manner  of 
opening  letters  ;  which  is  done  by  tearing  the  lap  of  the  envelope 
at  the  point  of  sealing. 


Chap.  L]  SUPERSCRIPTION.  63 

If  taken  out  with  the  right  hand,  as  it  nearly  always  is,  when  it 
is  unfolded,  it  will  be  found  right  end  up,  and  ready  for  perusal. 

If  it  is  inserted  the  other  edge  foremost,  and  the  envelope  is 
opened,  and  the  letter  unfolded  in  the  usual  manner,  the  page  will 
be  found  inverted,  and  it  must  be  turned  before  it  can  be  read. 
Try  the  experiment  both  ways,  and  decide  as  to  which  you  prefer. 

This  is  but  a  trifling  matter;  but  it  is  a  little  better  to  do 
it  right  while  you  are  about  it,  as  it  is  no  inconvenience,  than  to 
do  it  wrong. 

Be  sure  to  seal  your  envelope. 


SECTION    X. 

SUPERSCRIPTION. 

BLACKBOARD   EXERCISE. 


10.  Superscription. 


f  1.  Position. 

2.  Items. 

3.  Legibility. 

4.  Punctuation. 


The  Superscription  to  a  letter  is  what  is  written  on  the  outside 
of  the  envelope  in  which  it  is  inclosed.  The  subject  is  divided 
into  Position,  Items,  Legibility,  and  Punctuation. 

Probably  there  are  but  few  persons  accustomed  to  correspond- 
ence who  have  never  taken  letters  from  the  post-office,  of  the 
superscriptions  of  which  they  were  not  heartily  ashamed.  A 
slovenly,  illegible,  unsightly  scrawl  for  a  superscription  is  an 
inexcusable  and  horrid  deformity.  Blunders  inside  are  quite  bad 
enough ;  but  on  the  outside,  where  all  eyes  can  see  them,  they  are 
an  unpardonable  offense  to  the  person  who  is  compelled  to  receive 
them  among  his  letters.  Not  much  more  is  "  a  man  known  by 
the  company  he  keeps, "  than  by  the  correspondents  with  whom 
he  holds  intercourse. 

One  has  no  right,  therefore,  to  send  a  letter  to  another  with  a 
careless,  bungling,  awkward  superscription  on  the  envelope  in 
which  it  is  enclosed.     Absolute  elegance  may  not,  in  all  cases,  be 


64  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

attainable ;  but  any  one  who  writes  at  all  may  easily  learn  to 
give  the  superscription  to  a  letter  something  like  a  respectable 
appearance.  If  he  cannot  learn  to  do  this,  out  of  respect  to  his 
correspondent,  he  should,  by  all  means,  employ  some  one  to  do  it 
for  him. 

To  place  a  good-looking  superscription  on  an  envelope,  four 
things  require  particular  attention,  —  Position,  Items,  Legibility, 
and  Punctuation. 

1.  POSITION.  —  If  a  letter  is  to  be  sent  to  a  distant  post-office, 
the  superscription  generally  consists  of  three  or  four  lines.  Let 
the  iirst  line  be  about  equi-distant  from  the  upper  and  lower  edges 
of  the  envelope.  Begin  that  line,  unless  it  is  to  be  quite  a  long 
one,  about  an  inch  from  the  left  edge.  If  there  are  a  number  of 
names  to  write,  it  may  be  necessary  to  begin  nearer. 

Let  the  second  line  begin  a  little  farther  to  the  right  than  the 
first ;  the  third,  a  little  farther  than  the  second,  and  so  on. 

But  whether  three  or  more  lines  are  used,  the  last  should  end 
near  the  right-hand  lower  corner;  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
from  the  right  edge,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  the  lower 
edge.     Take  the  following  diagram  as  an  example. 

The  easiest  way  to  spoil  the  appearance  of  a  superscription  is, 
to  give  the  whole,  or  some  part  of  it,  a  wrong  position.  The  pen- 
manship may  be  faultless,  and  the  punctuation  perfectly  correct ; 
but  if  the  spacing  is  not  uniform,  or  if  the  items  of  any  of  the 
lines  begin  too  near  the  left  edge  of  the  envelope,  or  too  far  from 
it,  or  if  the  lines  are  written  too  near  the  upper  or  lower  edge, 
the  whole  appearance  is  bad. 

If  you  cannot  place  the  several  items  in  their  respective  posi- 
tions without  measuring  and  ruling,  you  should  measure  and  rule 
until  you  can.  A  little  practice,  with  correct  examples  before 
you  from  which  to  copy,  will  soon  enable  you  to  do  your  work 
correctly  without  ruling.  Erase  your  lines  with  a  piece  of  india- 
rubber,  after  writing  on  them. 


Chap.  I] 


SUFEF^SC'EIFTIOy. 


G5 


If  but  three  lines  are  necessary  in  the  superscription,  the  first 
line  may  be  placed  where  the  second  is  in  the  foregoing  diagram, 
or  the  spaces  between  the  lines  may  be  widened.  But  in  no  case, 
whether  three,  four,  or  more  lines  are  used,  should  the  first  be 
placed  above  the  middle  of  the  envelope.     And,  whatever  the 


66  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

number,  the  spaces  between  the  lines  and  the  space  below  the 
last,  should  be  equal. 

The  words  occupying  these  lines  will  generally  be  of  unequal 
length  and  number ;  the  greatest  of  each  usually  being  on  the 
first.  This  will  cause  irregularity  of  spaces  on  the  lines  at  the 
right.  But  this  is  of  no  consequence.  See  that  you  preserve  the 
regular  obliquity  at  the  left. 

2.  ITEMS. —  The  items  include  the  names  addressed,  with  the 
titles  or  additions  ;  the  name  of  the  town,  post-office,  village,  or 
city,  with  street  and  number ;  the  county  when  necessary,  and  the 
State,  Territory,  or  District. 

The  names  and  additions,  or  titles,  should  correspond  to,  or  at 
least  not  be  inconsistent  with,  those  placed  near  the  beginning  of 
the  letter,  or  at  the  foot  of  it  on  the  left.  The  titles  Mr.,  Messrs., 
Usq.y  Hon.,  Prof.,  Bev.,  Bev.  Dr.,  His  Excellency,  Miss,  Mrs.,  Capt., 
Col.,  Gen.,  &c.,  &c.,  are  to  be  used  the  same  as  inside. 

The  names  and  titles  occupy  the  first  line  of  the  superscription. 

The  name  of  the  town,  village,  post-office,  or  city  occupies  the 
second  line. 

If  your  letter  is  to  be  sent  to  a  city  over  which  the  mail  is  dis- 
tributed by  carriers,  the  street  and  number,  if  you  know  them,  in- 
stead of  the  name  of  the  city,  occupy  the  second  line.  The  street 
and  number  of  the  residence  or  place  of  business  should,  if  pos- 
sible, be  ascertained,  as  it  may  avoid  delay  in  delivery.  In  such 
cases,  of  course  the  name  of  the  city  will  occupy  the  third  line. 

When  the  destination  of  a  letter  is  a  large  and  widely  known 
city,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  write  the  name  of  the  county  as  a 
part  of  the  superscription.  But  when  it  is  a  town  or  village,  the 
name  of  the  county  in  which  it  is  situated  should  be  written  on 
the  third  line.  It  is  well,  generally,  to  write  out  in  full  the  name 
of  the  county.  Indeed,  the  Post-Office  Department  specially  re- 
quests that  this  be  done,  to  insure  safety  and  certainty  in  the 
transmission  of  letters. 

The  name  of  the  State,  or  weU-known  and  recognized  abbrevi- 
ations for  it,  will  occupy  the  last  line  of  the  superscription.  As  a 
general  rule,  it  is  advisable  to  write  in  fuU  the  name  of  the  State, 


Chap.  L]  SUPERSCRIPTION.  67 

especially  if  the  letter  is  directed  to  a  distant  State.  When  this  is 
done,  miscarriages  and  delays  are  less  likely  to  occur.  It  may  be 
well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  postmaster  or  post-office  clerk  may 
possibly  not  be  well  acquainted  with  the  abbreviations  that  are 
used  for  all  the  counties  and  States  in  the  American  Union. 

In  the  United  States,  in  the  year  1871,  over  sixty-eight  thou- 
sand letters  were  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office,  owing  to  the  care- 
lessness of  the  writers  in  omitting  to  give  the  name  of  the  county 
or  State,  in  the  superscription. 

There  are  business  men,  and  especially  postmasters,  who  main- 
tain that  the  order  of  the  items  of  the  superscription  on  letters, 
as  usually  given,  should  be  reversed.  The  postmaster  at  the 
mailing  office  says,  that  the  direction  the  letter  is  to  take  is  the 
only  item  in  which  he  is  interested,  or  in  which  any  postmaster 
is  interested,  until  the  letter  has  reached  its  destination.  The 
name  of  the  person  to  whom  it  is  directed  is  the  very  last  item 
to  be  read  by  the  post-office  clerk ;  and  yet  it  is  usual  to  put  it 
on  as  the  first.  It  is  of  no  consequence,  until  it  reaches  the  end 
of  its  journey,  who  is  to  receive  the  letter.  Indeed,  the  name  is 
never  read,  or  never  need  be,  until  that  time. 

But  probably  this  is  not  a  matter  of  much  practical  importance, 
one  way  or  the  other,  except  to  the  post-office  clerk.  The  present 
usage  was  doubtless  established  because  the  name  was  the  promi- 
nent, leading  item  in  the  mind  of  the  writer,  when  he  was  about 
to  direct  his  letter ;  and,  being  now  weU  established,  probably  it 
will  be  continued. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  this  mode  of  arranging  the 
items  reversed. 


68 


THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED. 


[Part  L 


There  are  obvious  advantages  in  favor  of  this  method ;  and  it 
would  be  difficult  to  suggest  any  objection  to  it,  except  the  fact 
that  the  general  custom  is  the  other  way. 

But  if  the  custom  were  changed,  and  the  order  of  items  re- 
versed, whatever  would  be  gained  at  the  office  of  mailing  would 
be  lost  at  the  office  of  delivery.     It  would  subject  the  postmaster 


Chap.  I]  SUPERSCRIPTION.  .      gg 

there  to  the  same  inconvenience  that  the  mailing  postmaster  now 
suffers;  and  the  letter-carrier  would  probably  be  put  to  more 
inconvenience  than  either. 

3.  LEGIBILITY.  —  This  is  the  most  important  matter  relating  to 
the  superscription.  Do  not  fail  to  write  with  black  ink,  and  in  a 
plain,  bold  hand.     The  safety  of  your  letter  depends  on  it. 

Thousands  of  letters  find  their  way  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office 
every  year,  for  no  reason  only  that  the  superscription  is  illegible. 
Some  persons,  particularly  some  ladies,  foolishly  pride  them- 
selves on  writing  a  very  small,  fine,  delicate  hand,  that  can 
scarcely  be  read  by  a  good  pair  of  eyes,  without  the  aid  of  a 
magnifying  glass  !  Those  who  think  this  genteel  are  sure  to 
write  the  superscription  to  their  letters  in  this  hand.  It  is  almost 
intolerable  anywhere ;  but  in  the  superscription  of  a  letter  it  is 
next  to  abominable  ! 

Mails  are  often  made  up  at  a  very  late  or  a  very  early  hour ; 
sometimes  in  the  night ;  or,  if  in  the  daytime,  in  some  dark 
corner ;  frequently  in  great  haste,  and  perhaps  by  persons  whose 
eyes  are  dimmed  with  age.  In  such  cases,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
imagine  the  vexation  arising  from  an  attempt  to  decipher  a  pale, 
faint,  illegible  superscription.  Very  likely  the  letter  must  remain 
over  until  the  next  mail,  even  if  it  goes  at  all.  Or,  worse  still,  it 
may  be  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  for  interpretation. 

If  an  illegible  letter  almost  exhausts  the  patience  of  the  reader 
in  its  perusal,  who  may  have  a  deep  interest  in  the  contents,  how 
can  it  be  expected  that  a  postmaster  can  control  his  temper,  while 
puzzling  over  a  provoking  scrawl  of  a  superscription,  in  which  he 
feels  no  special  interest  ? 

If  aU  letters  were  properly  superscribed,  it  is  doubtful  that 
one  would  be  miscarried,  where  a  thousand  now  are  through  the 
blunders  of  their  authors.  If  you  cannot  properly  superscribe  a 
letter,  it  is  good  advice  to  urge  you  to  practice  the  exercise  until 
you  can. 

The  student  may  judge  of  the  importance  of  a  clear,  bold,  legi- 
ble superscription,  when  he  is  informed  that  over  three  millions 
of  letters  were  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office,  Washington,  in  1871, 


70  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  I. 

because  the  postmasters  could  not  ascertain  their  destination  ;  or 
because  of  some  other  omission  —  prepayment  of  postage,  for  in- 
stance —  on  the  part  of  the  writers. 

In  these  three  millions  of  letters,  all  of  which  were  opened 
and  examined  by  the  Department,  there  were  found  over  ninety- 
two  thousand  dollars  in  cash.  In  drafts  and  checks  there  were 
over  two  milhons  of  dollars.  Over  thirty  thousand  photographs 
were  found  among  these  stray  letters. 

Another  word  of  caution  ought  to  be  given  here.  Be  careful 
that  you  do  not  omit  the  superscription  altogether.  Of  the  three 
millions  of  letters  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office,  before  alluded 
to,  over  three  thousand  were  dropped  in  the  office,  having  no 
superscription  whatever.  Such  an  omission  is  the  very  extreme 
of  negligence. 

4.  PUNCTUATION. — The  superscription  should  be  punctuated 
with  critical  exactness ;  especially  as  this  is  a  matter  that  is  in 
no  sense  difficult.  The  superscription  looks  unfinished  without 
it.  Do  not  string  along  a  series  of  periods,  one  at  the  end  of 
every  word,  with  no  regard  whatever  to  well-known  correct 
usage  and  rules.  Give  attention  to  a  variety  of  examples,  and 
follow  and  practice  them,  until  you  can  punctuate  the  super- 
scription of  any  letter  without  a  single  mistake.  The  comma 
and  period  are  the  only  points  used  for  this  purpose. 

Of  course  your  letter  may  reach  the  hand  of  the  person  to 
whom  it  is  addressed,  though  it  be  imperfectly  punctuated,  or, 
even  if  not  punctuated  at  all.  But,  since  it  requires  not  to  ex- 
ceed one  hour's  practice  to  learn  how  to  do  it  in  every  possible 
case,  by  all  means  give  it  the  necessary  attention  now. 

By  reference  to  examples,  you  can  learn  in  a  single  hour  all 
that  is  necessary,  even  if  totally  unacquainted  with  the  laws  of 
punctuation.  Observe  the  following,  no  two  of  which  are  alike 
in  items,  and  write  them  over  and  over  again,  until  you  can 
punctuate  each  one  perfectly,  without  the  copy  before  you. 


Chap.  L]  .  SUPERSCRIPTION.  71 

EXERCISES  IN  PUNCTUATION  OF  SUPERSCRIPTIONS. 


No.  1. 


P.S, 


No.  2. 


P.S, 


P.S. 


No.  3. 


No.  4. 


P.S 


No.  5. 


P.S 


.  S'.  3^.  28.  astcci^e, 


No.  6. 

P.S. 

^a.  m.   Qk.   SBa^rumv, 

c7u.Va.cu/ie, 

oN'eto.  %^xl. 

No.  7. 

P.S. 

'^\Dl!>  ©acetteaou/  oJoltn/  tJ  .  tTVicWmarv, 

©xecu/tuve    AfilmmlicV, 

No.  8. 

P.S. 

0.  vjayMo.  SBa^v,  Si(|^., 

^07  dS'oVt^  3^(m.U^  SFueet, 

y^awtb    =lc(HW/5j 

vJMIvCi^j>oii/ii'. 

No.  9. 

P.S. 

W^arv.   ST.   Q49.  JXuxHt, 

atcttberv  ^ountu., 

dTeio-   0||^X. 

No.  10. 

P.S. 

^V5.  £g<m;5  Si.  WuCfutnt., 

g  oN'eu^  ^oX  SFtUeb, 

QJwcHi^ibei, 

dTeuv   ^CV^. 

72  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

QUESTIONS    ON   SECTION   X. 

Superscription. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  Into  how  many  parts  is  it  divided  ? 

3.  What  is  said  of  blunders  inside  the  letter  ? 

4.  What  of  blunders  outside  ? 

5.  What  is  said  about  the  right  to  send  a  bungling  superscription  ? 

6.  If  one  cannot  write  a  respectable  superscription,  what  had  he  better  do? 

7.  What  things  demand  attention,  to  execute  a  good-looking  superscrip- 
tion? 

8.  Of  how  many  lines  does  it  usually  consist  ? 

9.  Where  should  the  first  line  be  ? 

10.  Where  should  it  begin? 

11.  When  may  it  be  necessary  to  begin  nearer  the  left  edge? 

12.  Where  should  the  second  line  begin? 

13.  Where  should  the  third  and  fourth? 

14.  Where  should  the  last  line  end  ? 

15.  Write  a  superscription  according  to  the  diagram. 

16.  If  but  three  lines  are  used,  where  should  the  first  be?  _ 

1 7.  How  should  the  lines  be  spaced  ? 

18.  On  which  line  are  usually  the  greatest  number  and  length  of  words? 

19.  "^Vhat  will  this  cause? 

20.  What  should  you  preserve  at  the  left? 

21.  What  do  the  items  include  ? 

22.  With  what  should  the  names  and  additions  correspond  ? 

23.  What  line  do  these  occupy  ? 

24.  What  do  you  place  on  the  second  line  ? 

25.  When  is  it  necessary  to  write  street  and  number? 

26.  In  such  case,  where  are  they  placed  ? 

27.  What  will  the  writing  of  street  and  number  prevent? 

28.  When  is  it  unnecessary  to  write  the  county  ? 

29.  "When,  necessary? 

30.  On  what  line  should  it  be  written  ? 

81.  What  does  the  Post-Office  Department  specially  request  about  giving 
the  county  ? 

32.  What  should  be  written  on  the  last  line? 

33.  How  is  it  best  to  write  the  name  of  the  State  ? 

34.  Why  is  this  best  ? 

35.  What  is  it  well  to  bear  in  mind  ? 

36.  Why  were  letters  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  in  1871  ? 

37.  How  many  were  sent  for  this  reason? 

38.  What  is  said  about  reversing  the  order  of  items  ? 


Chap.  I]  POSTAGE-STAMP.  73 

39.  Would  anything  be  gained  by  it? 

40.  What  is  the  most  important  matter  relating  to  the  superscription  ? 

41.  What  kind  of  ink  should  be  used? 

42.  Where  are  letters  sent  when  the  superscription  cannot  be  read? 

43.  What  do  some  persons  pride  themselves  on  ? 

44.  How  does  the  postmaster  like  this  ? 

45.  What  is  sometimes  the  result  ? 

,    46.  If  letters  were  properly  superscribed,  what  would  be  the  advantage? 

4  7.  What  had  one  better  do,  if  he  cannot  properly  superscribe  a  letter  ? 

48.  Why  are  so  many  letters  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office? 

49.  How  many  were  sent  in  1871  ? 

50.  What  was  another  reason  for  sending  there? 

51.  How  much  cash  was  found  in  all? 

52.  How  much  in  drafts  and  checks? 

63.  How  many  photographs  ? 

64.  What  other  caution  is  necessary  ? 

65.  How  many  letters  were  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  for  want  of  a 
superscription  ? 

56.  What  attention  should  be  given  to  punctuating  the  superscription? 

67.  How  does  it  look  if  not  properly  punctuated? 

58.  What  are  the  only  points  used  ? 

59.  How  many  periods  do  you  find  in  example  No.  1  ? 

60.  Where  are  they  ? 

61.  How  many  commas  ? 

62.  Where  are  they? 

63.  Answer  the  same  questions  of  all  the  others. 


SECTION    XI. 

POSTAGE-STAMP. 

If  yoTi  are  in  the  habit  of  writing  letters,  you  will  find  it  a 
matter  of  great  convenience  to  always  have  on  hand  a  supply  of 
postage-stamps.  You  may  wish  to  drop  a  letter  into  the  post- 
office  when  it  is  closed.  In  such  case,  unless  you  happen  to  have 
a  stamp,  or  meet  some  person  who  has  one  to  spare,  your  letter 
will  be  delayed,  and  you  will  probably  have  to  take  another 
journey  to  the  office. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  stamps  in  good  order,  else 
they  may  be  condemned  at  the  post-office,  in  which  case  your 
letter  will  not  go.  Besides,  suspicion  might  be  excited  that  the 
4 


74  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  L 

stamp  had  once  been  used  before  it  was  placed  on  your  envelope. 
Stamps  should  be  kept  dry. 

The  upper  right-hand  corner  is  the  proper  place  for  the  stamp. 
This  is  for  the  convenience  of  the  postmaster  in  making  up  the 
mail,  in  post-marking  the  letter,  and,  at  the  same  time,  defacing 
the  postage-stamp. 

Take  special  care  that  you  put  the  stamp  on  before  dropping 
the  letter  in  the  letter-box ;  also,  that  it  tenaciously  adheres  to 
the  envelope.  If  either  of  these  points  be  omitted,  when  you 
are  becoming  impatient  because  the  expected  answer  does  not 
reach  you,  you  may  be  surprised  on  reading  in  the  village  or  city 
paper  that  your  own  letter  has  not  left  the  office,  but  is  held  for 
postage. 

Through  sheer  carelessness  thousands  of  such  cases  occur 
every  year.  Perhaps  you  may  not  be  fortunate  enough  to  read 
the  advertisement ;  and,  if  not,  you  will  be  quite  likely  to 
censure  the  Post-Office  Department,  as  long  as  you  live,  for  what 
was  the  inevitable  result  of  your  own  negligence.  By  this  sort 
of  carelessness,  resulting  in  disastrous  delays,  business  men  have 
lost  thousands,  and  may  never  ascertain  where  the  fault  lies. 

In  1871  four  hundred  thousand  letters  were  forwarded  to  the 
Dead  Letter  Office,  Washington,  because  the  writers  had  forgotten 
to  put  on  the  stamp.  Perhaps  as  many,  or  twice  as  many  more, 
were  saved  from  going  there,  because  of  newspaper  advertise- 
ments announcing  that  they  were  held  for  postage. 

One  important  word  more, — never,  never  write  to  any  person 
on  your  own  business,  requesting  or  expecting  an  answer,  without 
inclosing  a  postage-stamp  to  prepay  the  return  letter.  Your 
correspondent  will  regard  such  oversight,  or  intended  tax  on  him, 
as  "  a  straw  that  shows  which  way  the  wind  blows."  He  will 
look  upon  it  as  an  index  to  your  character,  and  as  an  insult  to 
himself. 

These  remarks,  of  course,  do  not  apply  where  the  parties  are 
already  mutually  interested  in  the  subject-matter  of  the  corre- 
spondence. But  until  he  has  signified  in  some  way  his  assent  to 
become  equally  interested  with  yourself  you  have  no  right  to  tax 
your  correspondent  with  postage. 


Chap.  L]  QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  XL  75. 

QUESTIONS    ON    SECTION    XL 

Postage  Stamp. 

1 .  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  Why  should  you  keep  a  supply  of  stamps  on  hand  ? 

3.  Where  is  the  proper  place  for  the  stamp  ? 

4.  Why  is  this  the  place  ? 

5.  Of  what  two  things  should  special  care  be  taken  ? 
G.  What  if  either  is  omitted  ? 

7.  Where  are  letters  sent,  if  not  prepaid  ? 

8.  For  what  is  the  Post-Office  Department  sometimes  wrongfully  censured? 

9.  How  many  were  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  in  1871  because  not 
prepaid  ? 

1 0.  How  were  others,  unpaid,  saved  from  being  sent  ? 

11.  When  should  you  inclose  a  stamp  in  your  own  letter? 

12.  How  will  it  be  regarded  if  you  do  not  ? 


76  THINGS   TO  BE  A  VOIDED.  [Part  I. 


1.  Things  to  be  avoided. 


CHAPTEE   II. 

THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED. 

THAT  there  are  certain  Things  to  he  observed  in  ^q  stYaoiViTe 
of  a  letter  would  seem  to  imply  that  there  are  also  certain 
Things  to  he  avoided. 

Under  this  latter  general  head  the  student's  attention  is  invited 
to  a  few  inexcusable  blemishes,  any  one  of  which  injures  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  letter. 

BLACKBOARD  EXERCISE. 

1.  Interlineations,  j  2  of  Letters. 

2.  Blots. 

3.  Plourislies. 

4.  Cross-lines. 

5.  Underlinings. 

6.  Erasures. 

7.  Postscripts. 

8.  The  character  &. 

9.  Figures  for  words. 
10.  Lead-pencil  writing. 

SECTION   I. 

INEXCUSABLE   BLEMISHES. 

1.  INTERIINEATMS.  — 1.  Of  Words.  — Some  persons  fall  into  the 
very  bad  habit  of  leaving  out  words  or  letters  that  belong  in  the 
composition.  If  you  omit  a  word  of  a  sentence,  or  a  letter  of  a 
word,  one  of  two  things  must  be  done ;  either  the  words  or  letters 
omitted  must  be  inserted  on  the  page  afterwards,  or  your  whole 
letter  thus  far  must  be  rewritten,  so  as  to  include  them  where 
they  belong. 


Chap.  II.]  INTERLINEATIONS.  77 

If  it  is  decided  not  to  rewrite,  the  omissions  must  be  inserted 
just  above  the  line  on  which  they  occur,  and  the  caret  must  be 
placed  at  the  point  where  they  belong ;  thus,  — 

our 
"  Give  us  this  day  daily  bread.''* 

These  after-insertions  are  called  interlineations.  If  the  letter  is 
short,  or  if  but  little  has  been  written  when  the  omission  occurs, 
you  had  better  rewrite  your  letter. 

These  interlineations  are  mere  patchwork  at  best ;  and  in  letter- 
writing,  no  pains  should  be  spared  to  avoid  them.  They  give  a 
letter  a  very  bad  appearance.  The  necessity  for  interlining  can 
be  avoided  by  practice  and  attention  only.  If  you  have  acquired 
this  fault,  no  labor  should  be  shirked  to  overcome  it.  Unless  it 
is  conquered,  you  will  never  write  a  neat  and  finished  letter. 

A  gentleman  well  known  to  the  business  world,  and  one  who 
writes  a  faultless  letter,  says  he  remembers  rewriting  a  long 
letter  seventeen  times,  just  as  many  as  he  was  years  old,  before 
he  finished  it  without  a  single  interlineation.  He  says  he  was 
particularly  prone  to  this  fault ;  but  he  was  fully  determined  to 
overcome  it.  He  says  he  can  now  write  a  dozen  long  letters  at  a 
single  sitting  without  the  interlineation  of  a  single  word.  In  the 
commencement  of  his  business  life,  he  often  rewrote  a  letter  four, 
five,  or  six  times. 

Unless  you  conquer  this  fault  in  early  life,  it  will  become  a 
settled  habit.  It  should  be  made  a  point  not  to  be  yielded  on 
any  account,  that,  whether  your  letter  be  longer  or  shorter,  it 
shall  be  folded  and  inclosed  without  one  word  of  interlinea- 
tion. 

As  a  choice  of  evils,  it  may  possibly  be  necessary,  when  in  a 
hurry,  to  interline  a  word,  rather  than  rewrite  a  long  letter.  But 
let  such  cases  be  rare  exceptions.  As  a  general  rule,  it  is  better 
to  rewrite  than  to  send  a  letter  defaced  with  interlineations.  It 
is  admitted  that  this  practice  may  cost  time  and  labor ;  but  such 
discipline  will  be  rewarded  in  the  end. 

These  observations  are  addressed  more  especially  to  the  student 
whose  habits  are  not. yet  formed,  and  who,  by  careful  seK-disci- 
phne,  can  avoid  acquiring  this  very  bad  one. 


78  THINGS  TO  BE  A  VOIDED.  [Part  L 

2.  Of  Letters.  —  The  interlineation  of  a  letter  or  letters  to  cor- 
rect misspelling  is  a  worse  blemish,  if  possible,  than  the  inter- 
lineation of  words.  It  disfigures  the  word,  as  the  other  disfigures 
the  spaces  between  the  lines.  The  reader  of  your  letter  will 
almost  believe,  if  not  quite,  that  you  learned  to  spell  the  word 
after  you  had  incorrectly  written  it. 

If,  however,  on  reviewing  your  letter,  which  should  always  be 
done  before  folding,  you  find  that  a  letter  of  a  word  has  been 
omitted,  generally  the  mistake  can  be  corrected,  if  your  manu- 
script has  been  properly  spaced.  To  do  it,  carefully  erase  the 
whole  word  with  a  sharp  knife.  Then  apply  to  the  surface  a 
piece  of  india-rubber,  called  ink-eraser.  Eub  the  surface  vigor- 
ously, using  the  paper  dust  under  it  that  has  been  scraped  off. 
You  can  thus  create  a  new  surface  almost  as  impervious  as  the 
original.  Now  carefully,  and  with  a  light  hand,  rewrite  the  word. 
The  difference  in  shade  will  scarcely  be  perceptible. 

2.  BLOTS.  —  Of  course  you  wiU  not  post  a  letter  disfigured  by 
blots.  Should  one  of  any  considerable  size  chance  to  occur,  though 
after  the  letter  is  finished,  if  you  cannot  thoroughly  erase  it,  by 
all  means  throw  away  your  sheet  and  rewrite. 

Your  letter  will  be  regarded  as,  in  some  degree,  typical  of  your 
character.  A  slovenly  business  letter  indicates  that  the  writer  is 
a  slovenly  business  man.  A  blot  on  your  page  is  like  a  blotch 
on  your  face;  only,  the  one  you  can  prevent,  while  the  other, 
perhaps,  you  cannot.  Either,  however,  presents  a  disagreeable 
sight. 

If  you  will  take  care  to  not  overload  your  pen,  you  will  rarely 
be  troubled  with  blots  on  your  sheet. 

3.  FLOURISHES.  —  In  a  business  letter  flourishes  are  entirely  out 
of  place,  even  if  admissible  in  any  other.  They  indicate  a  kind 
of  dash-and-display  character  in  the  writer,  which  no  solid  busi- 
ness man  admires.  A  letter  all  filled  with  pen  flourishes,  con- 
taining an  application  for  a  situation  in  which  the  pen  was 
indispensable,  would  be  quite  unlikely  to  secure  a  favorable  re- 
sponse from  a  man  of  business  sagacity  and  experience. 


Chap.  II.]  CROSS-LINES.  79 

A  shrewd  old  banker  in  Montreal,  a  few  years  since,  refused  a 
five-hundred-pound  note,  due  four  months  from  date,  because  of 
the  grand  flourish  to  the  maker's  signature.  The  paper  was  well 
recommended.  The  banker  was  unacquainted  with  the  flour- 
ishing signer;  but  he  said  the  disgusting  display  excited  his 
suspicion  that  the  maker  of  that  note  was  flourishing  on  money 
not  his  own.     At  maturity,  the  paper  was  worthless. 

But  the  chief  objection  to  flourishes  in  a  letter  is,  that  they 
intrude  on  the  lines  above  and  below  the  line  of  writing,  and 
render  the  whole  page  indistinct  and  illegible.  They  are  mere 
show,  without  the  slightest  claim  to  utility.  Indeed,  they  are  a 
serious  damage  to  the  appearance  of  the  page. 

Ornamental  penmanship  has  its  place ;  and,  in  its  place,  it  is 
all  very  well.  But  that  place  is  not  in  the  business  letter,  if  in 
any  other. 

4.  CROSS-LIIVES.  —  In  this  country  paper  and  postage  are  reason- 
ably cheap.  There  is,  therefore,  no  excuse  for  writing  cross-lines^ 
either  on  the  margin  of  your  sheet,  or  over  the  lines  of  your 
letter  on  the  regular  rulings. 

These  cross-lines  deform  your  letter  and  add  very  much  to  the 
difficulty  of  reading  it.  It  is  very  rare  indeed,  perhaps  never, 
that  you  will  see  a  business  letter  thus  defaced.  But  no  letter, 
whether  of  a  business  or  social  character,  should  be  thus 
deformed. 

If  one  sheet  does  not  furnish  room  enough  for  what  it  is 
necessary  to  include  in  your  letter,  by  all  means  take  another ; 
but  do  not  spoil  what  you  have  already  done  weU.  You  had 
better,  if  necessary,  pay  extra  postage.  If  your  letter  is  of 
sufficient  importance  to  be  worth  reading,  you  can  afford  it.  If 
it  is  not,  you  have  no  right  to  tax  your  correspondent's  patience 
to  read  these  tangled  cross-lines  to  learn  what  is  of  no  conse- 
quence. 

Cross-lines  in  letter- writing  came  into  use  many  years  ago,  on 
account  of  dear  postage  and  the  high  price  of  paper.  Less  than 
twenty-five  years  ago,  it  cost  more  to  send  a  letter  from  Detroit 
to  New  York  than  it  did  to  send  a  bushel  of  wheat  or  corn. 


80  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  I. 

The  high  rates  of  postage  furnished  some  apology,  at  that  time, 
for  utilizing  every  nook  and  corner  of  the  sheet,  in  writing  an 
old-fashioned  family  letter.  But  those  days  have  passed,  never 
to  return  to  the  people  of  this  country;  and  with  them,  the 
necessity,  if  not  the  inducement,  of  cross-lining  letters. 

Ladies  still  continue  the  practice  to  some  extent,  in  their 
correspondence  with  each  other.  But,  generally,  the  person 
receiving  a  letter  thus  disfigured  regards  it  with  disfavor,  if 
not  with  disgust.  It  now  appears  like  an  affectation  of  econ- 
omy, or  of  real  economy  bordering  on  stinginess  or  poverty. 
It  is,  to  say  the  least  against  it  that  can  be  said,  in  very  bad 
taste. 

5.  UNDERLINING.  —  Although  underlining  is  very  well  in  its 
place,  it  may  be  overdone,  and  often  is,  by  those  who  have  had 
but  little  experience  in  letter-writing.  Especially  this  is  likely 
to  be  the  case  with  those  who  are  of  a  very  positive  and  en- 
thusiastic temperament.  They  seem  to  feel  that  nearly  haK 
their  words  are  of  special  interest  and  importance ;  and  that  this 
fact  may  possibly  be  overlooked  by  their  correspondents,  unless 
attention  is  particularly  called  to  it. 

In  letter-writing,  if  a  sentence  is  properly  constructed,  as  a 
general  rule,  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  underlining,  merely  to 
give  emphasis  and  importance  to  a  word.  Its  importance  will  be 
manifest  at  a  glance. 

Still,  it  is  not  to  be  understood  that  you  are  never  to  underline. 
There  are  certain  words  that  should  be  underlined;  though  it 
might  be  difficult  to  give  a  rule  so  comprehensive  that  it  would 
apply  in  all  cases. 

It  is  proper  to  use  the  underline  for  important  words,  and  for 
such  as  are  placed  in  contrast  or  antithesis ;  as,  "  Not  that  I  loved 
Cesar  less,  but  that  I  loved  Eome  more."  Here,  the  word  less  is 
placed  in  contrast  with  more.  Again :  "  The  prodigal  robs  his 
heir ;   the  miser  robs  himself." 

The  names  of  new^spapers  should  be  underlined,  especially  if 
they  are  to  be  printed ;  as.  The  Tribune,  The  Herald,  The  Evening 
Journal,  The  London  Times. 


Chap.  IL]  ERASURES.  gl 

The  names  of  books  also ;  as,  (ribbon's  Rome,  Kent's  Commenta- 
ries, Pilgrim's  Progress, 

Also,  words  and  phrases  introduced  from  a  foreign  language; 
as,  pro  bono  jpublico. 

But  the  caution  is  against  using  the  underline  too  freely.  As  it 
is  generally  done  for  the  purpose  of  giving  emphasis,  that  purpose 
will  be  defeated  by  too  frequent  use.  The  public  speaker  whose 
voice  is  always  on  the  highest  pitch  finds  no  margin  for  emphasis 
when  it  is  really  needed.  As  emphasis  is  the  relative  force  given 
to  one  or  more  words  over  the  others,  when  he  needs  it,  he  is 
unable  to  give  it.  So  indiscriminate  underlining  ceases  to  secure 
special  attention,  except  as  it  offends  the  eye  of  taste. 

Bear  in  mind  that  you  will  probably  be  prone  to  underline 
too  much  rather  than  too  little.  When  your  mind  is  in  doubt 
about  the  propriety  of  using  the  underline,  it  will  be  better  to 
omit  it. 

The  rules  for  underlining  matter  prepared  for  the  press  are,  — 

1.  One  horizontal  line  drawn  under  a  word  or  words  signifies 
that  they  are  to  be  printed  in  Italic  letters ;  thus,  Tlie  bells  were 
tolling. 

2.  Two  lines  signify  that  they  are  to  be  printed  in  small  capi- 
tals; thus,  "All  were  lost." 

3.  Three  lines  signify  that  they  are  to  be  printed  in  large  capi- 
tals; thus,  "EVERY  MAN  WAS  PUT  TO  THE  SWORD." 

4.  Four  lines  are  seldom  used,  except  for  circulars  or  hand- 
bills ;  but  when  they  are,  they  signify  that  the  matter  thus  un- 
derlined is  to  be  displayed  in  Italic  capitals,  or  according  to  the 
taste  of  the  printer. 

6.  ERASURES.  —  Avoid  pen  erasures  ;  that  is,  drawing  your  pen 
along  over  the  word  or  line  after  having  written  it.  They  give 
your  page  the  very  worst  possible  appearance.  They  are  worse 
than  patches  on  your  garments,  or  coal-dust  on  your  face.  If 
you  must  rewrite,  or  send  a  letter  thus  disfigured,  do  not  hesitate 
a  moment,  —  rewrite.  All  that  was  said  against  interlineations, 
and  much  more,  may  be  said  against  pen  erasures. 

If  the  word  or  words  can  be  entirely  erased  with  a  sharp  knife 


82  THINGS  TO  BE  A  VOIDED.  [Part  I. 

or  other  instrument,  as  directed  in  a  former  section,  it  may  possi- 
bly be  better  to  do  so  than  to  rewrite  a  long  letter.  But  it  is 
difficult  to  do  this  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  unless  the  paper  is 
very  heavy,  of  solid  body,  and  excellent  surface. 

It  is  hardly  proper  to  say  that,  in  no  case  whatever,  is  it  better 
to  send  a  letter  with  pen  erasures  than  to  rewrite ;  for  it  might 
be  possible  that,  if  not  sent  with  all  its  defects,  it  would  never  be 
sent  at  all.  If  the  mail  were  about  to  close,  if  the  letter  must 
go  now  or  never,  and  if  business  of  importance  must  suffer  for 
want  of  it,  of  course,  send  the  letter ;  resolving,  however,  that 
another  case  of  the  kind  shall  not  arise.  Nothing  but  the  most 
pressing  necessity  should  impel  you  to  allow  it  in  a  single  in- 
stance. 

Were  you  to  apply  for  a  business  position  through  a  letter  con- 
taining pen  erasures  and  interlineations,  if  the  place  were  a 
desirable  one,  you  would  be  nearly  certain  not  to  obtain  it.  What 
you  may  regard  as  a  small  matter  in  a  business  letter,  hardly 
worth  noticing,  possil^ly  may  be  the  turning-point  of  your  entire 
business  life. 

Some  years  ago,  a  Boston  business  house  advertised  in  the  city 
papers  for  a  clerk.  All  applications  must  be  made  in  the  hand- 
writing of  the  applicants.  Within  two  days  twenty-three  appli- 
cations were  made  by  as  many  young  men. 

The  handwriting  of  one  was  conspicuously  superior  to  that  of 
all  the  others.  But  he  was  not  invited  to  an  interview.  You 
would  like  to  know  the  reason  ;  and  you  shaU  have  it.  In  writ- 
ing the  day  of  the  week,  Saturday,  he  wrote  Saterday ;  then 
drew  his  pen  over  the  e,  and  wrote  u  above  it. 

That  was  a  bad  mark,  —  an  unfortunate  scratch  of  the  pen. 
The  little  blemish  in  that  letter  may  have  been  of  incalculable 
importance  to  the  youthful  hand  that  held  it.  Another  was  in- 
vited to  an  interview,  and  was  accepted ;  and  he  is  now  an  equal 
partner  in  that  house,  which  position  is  itself  a  fortune. 

That  young  man  was  not  refused  an  interview  because  he  mis- 
spelt Saturday, —  for  he  corrected  that,  —  nor  on  account  of  the 
erasure  or  interlineation;  for,  had  the  members  of  that  house 
known  that  he  had  copied  his  letter  a  dozen  times  to  get  it  right, 


Chap.  IL]  POSTSCRIPT.  33 

and  at  last  did  get  it  right,  they  would  have  admired  his  pa- 
tience and  perseverance. 

But  they  refused  the  interview  because  he,  knowing  it  to  be  a 
blunder,  did  not  think  it  of  consequence  enough  to  rewrite  his 
letter  before  sending  it  and  correcting  the  blunder. 

They  expected  applicants  would  write  and  rewrite,  no  matter 
how  many  times.  But  because  the  letter  came  on  the  errand  it 
did  come  on,  and  bearing  this  blemish,  to  the  writer's  own  knowl- 
edge, they  felt  that  he  needed  at  least  one  element  of  a  good 
business  man,  which  he  did  not  and  probably  never  would  pos- 
sess. His  first  error,  misspelling  the  word,  was  bad  enough ;  but 
his  second,  the  way  he  corrected  it,  was  much  worse. 

7.  POSTSCRIPT.  — A  ^osfecn>^  is  something  added  to  a  letter  af- 
ter it  has  passed  through  the  forms  of  finish.  When  it  contains 
an  account  of  something  that  has  taken  place  since  the  letter  was 
completed,  or  something  that  has  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
writer  since,  it  is  serving  its  proper  purpose.  Though  this  is  the 
proper  use  of  a  postscript,  it  is  not  the  general  use.  It  is  more 
generally  used  to  supply  that  which  the  writer  knew  just  as  well 
before  he  had  subscribed  his  name  to  his  letter  as  he  did  after- 
wards. He  simply  did  not  think  to  put  it  in  where  it  belonged ; 
so  he  patches  up,  as  it  were,  the  holes  of  the  garment,  in  which 
there  should  have  been  none  left. 

Some  letters  are  half  postscript.  It  is  not  unusual,  with  some 
persons,  to  add  one  after  another,  until  there  are  as  many  as  there 
are  paragraphs  in  the  body  of  the  letter.  This  is  a  kind  of  gen- 
eral interlineation. 

To  add  something,  by  way  of  postscript,  which  properly  belongs 
in  the  body  of  the  letter,  and  which  ought  to  constitute  one  of 
the  principal  paragraphs,  is  a  very  awkward  way  out  of  an  un- 
necessary difficulty.  It  shows  a  kind  of  slip-shod  carelessness, 
loose  habits  of  composition,  or  a  want  of  practice  in  writing. 

It  has  been  said  that  "  a  lady's  letter  is  never  complete  without 
a  postscript."  But  ladies  certainly  do  not  monopolize  this  fault. 
It  is  quite  a  common  one  with  the  other  sex. 

To  avoid  postscripts,  the  items  to  be  embraced  in  a  letter  should 


84  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  I. 

be  noted  down  on  a  scrap  of  paper  before  commencing.  They 
should  also  be  arranged  in  their  proper  order ;  so  that  those  that 
are  related  to  each  other  shall  have  their  proper  connection  in  the 
letter.     Let  them  be  next-door  neighbors. 

It  is  not  desirable,  as  a  general  rule,  that  a  business  letter 
should  embrace  a  great  variety  of  topics.  It  is  better  to  make 
each  the  subject  of  a  letter  by  itself.  Especially,  no  topic  of  im- 
portance should  be  the  subject  of  a  postscript.  It  is  preferable 
to  rewrite,  or  make  the  afterthought  the  subject  of  another  letter. 

8.  THE  CHARACTER  &.  — The  character  &  is  generaUy  used  too 
freely.  It  has  its  places  and  uses,  but  they  are  few.  By  some 
persons  the  word  and  is  seldom  written.  They  nearly  always 
use  the  character  &  instead.  Except  in  the  following  cases,  and 
perhaps  a  very  few  others,  this  character  should  not  be  employed 
to  take  the  place  of  the  word  for  which  it  stands.  It  may  be 
used,  — 

1.  As  a  connective  of  the  surnames  of  a  business  firm ;  as, 
Jones  &  Smith  ;  Dunn  &  Brown  ;  Inman,  White,  &  Raymond. 

2.  The  surname  and  some  word  expressive  of  relationship,  the 
two  signifying  a  business  firm ;  as,  Brown  &  Brothers  ;  Bannister 
&Son. 

3.  As  a  connective  of  Christian  names,  or  initial  letters  of 
them,  to  a  surname  in  common ;  as,  J.  H.  &  S.  B.  Perkins  ;  M. 
L.y  A.,  &  D.  Emmons ;  John  &  George  Hihhard. 

4.  As  a  connective  of  one  or  more  names  of  a  firm  to  the 
abbreviation  Co.,  which  signifies  Company  ;  as,  John  Smith  <&  Co. ; 
Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor,  &  Co. 

5.  It  is  properly  used  with  the  letter  c ;  thus,  &c.,  signifying 
and  so  forth. 

It  is  so  generally  used  in  these  classes  of  cases,  that  it  might 
be  regarded  in  bad  taste  to  substitute  the  word  and  for  it.  But 
before  using  it  in  any  other,  be  sure  that  you  have  the  sanction 
of  good  authority. 

9.  FIGURES  FOR  WORDS.  —  Proper  discrimination  should  be  exer- 
cised in  the  use  of  figures  in  the  body  of  a  letter.     Like  the 


Chap.  II.]  LEAD-PENCIL    WRITING.  85 

character  <j&,  they  have  their  places,  and  in  their  proper  places  the 
substitution  of  words  would  appear  awkward  and  clumsy.  Cus- 
tom has  established  their  use  for  dates,  time  of  day,  rates,  quan- 
tities, prices,  and,  in  bills  and  bookkeeping,  aggregate  amounts. 
They  may  also  be  used  for  numbers  to  designate  articles  thus 
known ;  as,  No.  2,  3,  &c.  Also  for  numbers  indicating  places  of 
residence ;  as.  We  live  at  500  Broadway.  A  letter  would  have  a 
very  bungling  appearance  if  dated  thus :  August  seventeenth,  eigh- 
teen hundred  and  seventy-two.     , 

Numbers  should  not  be  written  partly  in  figures  and  partly  in 
words ;  as.  The  army  consisted  of  W  thousand  men  ;  We  live  at 
600  and  twenty  Broadway  ;  I  saw  5  hundred  sheep  in  a  drove ; 
He  owes  me  twenty  5  dollars. 

It  is  usual  to  write  the  amount  for  which  negotiable  paper  is 
given  both  in  figures  and  words,  —  the  figures  being  placed  in 
the  margin,  generally  at  the  left-hand  upper  or  lower  corner. 
In  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  money,  whether  in  currency, 
checks,  or  drafts,  the  sum  is  quite  generally  expressed  in  figures 
as  well  as  words ;  as.  Your  favor  of  the  6th  inst.,  containing 
draft  for  Jive  hundred  dollars  (S  500),  is  received,  &c. 

You  should  never  begin  a  sentence  in  figures  ;  as,  200  passen- 
gers were  lost  on  hoard  the  Arctic.  500  barrels  of  flour  were 
thrown  overboard. 

These  remarks  are  not  intended  to  apply  to  bills  of  goods,  or 
merchandise  where  sums  are  to  be  added  or  multiplied,  and  aggre- 
gate amounts  are  to  be  ascertained  by  the  process. 

10.  LEAD-PENCIL  WRITING.  —  N'ever  write  a  business  letter  in 
lead-pencil  marks.  It  is  disrespectful  to  your  correspondent. 
The  lines  are  not  as  easily  read  as  when  written  with  ink; 
they  are  easily  blurred  or  defaced;  and  they  may  be  erased 
or  altered,  when  self-interest  requires  and  it  can  be  done  with 
safety. 

A  New  York  merchant,  who  had  had  but  little  business  experi- 
ence, left  a  large  number  of  demands  for  collection  with  a  lawyer 
in  Ohio.  The  lawyer  collected  and  remitted  one  thousand  dollars, 
which  the  merchant  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  by  a  letter  written 


86  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Paxt  I. 

with  a  lead-pencil.  Soon  after  the  merchant  died.  His  books  of 
account  showed  that  he  had  credited  the  lawyer  with  one  thousand 
dollars.  But  the  letter,  in  the  possession  of  the  lawyer,  acknowl- 
edged that  the  merchant  had  received  two  thousand  dollars.  It  re- 
quired but  little  skill  to  erase,  with  india-rubber,  the  monosyllable 
one,  and  to  write  two  in  its  place.  May  be  the  lawyer  had  not 
done  it ;  but  it  was  a  case  of  grave  suspicion,  ending  in  a  lawsuit 
in  which  the  lawyer  was  successful. 

Receipts  should  never  be  given  in  lead-pencil  writing.     It  is 
unsafe  and  unbusiness-like. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  H.' 

Inexcusable  Blemishes. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  chapter? 

2.  "What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

3.  What  bad  habit  do  some  persons  fall  into? 

4.  What  must  be  done  when  words  are  left  out  ? 

5.  Where  are  omissions  to  be  inserted  ? 

6.  What  is  the  caret  used  for? 

7.  When  had  you  better  rewrite  your  letter? 

8.  What  are  these  interlineations? 

9.  What  appearance  do  they  give  to  a  letter? 

1 0.  How  may  they  be  avoided  ? 

11.  How  many  times  did  a  well-known  business  man  rewrite  his  letter? 

1 2.  What  kind  of  a  letter  does  he  now  write  ? 

13.  If  you  do  not  early  conquer  this  fault,  what  will  be  the  result? 

14.  What  is  said  about  rewriting? 

15.  What,  about  a  choice  of  evils? 

16.  What  will  the  practice  of  rewriting  cost? 

1 7.  To  whom  are  these  remarks  applicable  ? 

18.  What  is  said  about  interlining /e/^ers  of  words? 

19.  What  will  the  reader  of  your  letter  believe? 

20.  How  can  this  be  remedied? 

BloU. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  When  should  you  rewrite  ? 

3.  How  is  your  letter  regarded? 

4.  What  does  a  slovenly  letter  indicate  ? 

5.  What  is  a  blot  compared  to  ? 

6.  What  care  will  prevent  blots? 


Chap.  II.]  QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  11.  87 

Flourishes. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  Where  are  flourishes  out  of  place  ? 

3.  What  do  they  indicate? 

4.  How  would  they  answer  in  a  business  application  ? 

5.  What  is  said  of  the  Montreal  banker? 

6.  What  was  the  result  ? 

7.  What  is  the  chief  objection  to  flourishes? 

Cross-Lines. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  is  said  about  cross-lines  ? 

3.  What  appearance  do  they  give  to  a  letter  ? 

4.  Suppose  one  sheet  is  not  large  enough  without  cross-lining? 

5.  Suppose  it  costs  you  extra  postage  ? 

6.  What  is  said  about  taxing  your  correspondent's  patience  to  read  cross- 
lines  ? 

7.  What  brought  cross-lines  into  use  ? 

8.  What  is  said  of  cost  of  postage  a  few  years  ago  ? 

9.  What  excuse  did  this  furnish  ? 

10.  How  do  persons  regard  cross-lines  who  receive  the  letter  containing 
them  ? 

11.  What  does  the  practice  now  show? 

12.  In  what  kind  of  taste  is  it  said  to  be  ? 

Underlining. 

1.  What  is  tjie  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  By  whom  is  it  often  overdone  ? 

3.  When  is  there  generally  no  necessity  for  it  ? 

4.  When  should  you  underline? 

5.  Give  an  example  ? 

6.  What  names  should  be  underlined? 

7.  What  words  and  phrases  ? 

8.  What  is  the  caution  here  against? 

9.  Wliat  is  the  effect  of  too  frequent  underlining  ? 

10.  Wliat  is  said  about  the  public  speaker? 

1 1 .  What  is  emphasis  ? 

12.  What  shall  you  do  when  you  are  in  doubt  about  underlining? 

13.  What  does  one  underline  signify  in  matter  prepared  for  the  press? 

14.  What  do  two? 

15.  What  do  three? 

16.  What  do  four? 


88  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  L 

Erasures. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  Wliat  is  a  pen  erasure  ? 

3.  What  is  it  compared  to? 

4.  What  should  you  do  rather  than  erase? 

5.  When  may  you  erase  ? 

6.  What  is  said  about  erasures  in  applying  for  a  business  position? 

7.  Wliat  is  said  about  a  small  matter  ? 

8.  What  did  a  Boston  business  house  advertise  for  ? 

9.  How  did  they  require  the  applications  to  be  made  ? 

10.  Plow  many  did  they  soon  have? 

1 1 .  Why  was  not  the  best  penman  invited  to  an  interview  ? 

1 2.  What  is  said  of  the  little  scratch  of  the  pen  ? 

13.  What  about  the  one  who  was  accepted  ? 

14.  For  what  was  the  best  penman  not  rejected? 

15.  For  what  was  he  ? 

16.  What  did  the  firm  expect  of  applicants  ? 

1 7.  What  did  they  think  this  young  man  lacked  ? 

18.  What  did  they  think  of  his  first  error? 

19.  What  of  the  second  ? 

t 
Postscripts. 

1.  Wli^'t  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  What  is  a  postscript  ? 

3.  AVhen  is  it  serving  its  proper  purpose  ? 

4.  For  what  is  it  generally  used  ? 

5.  What  are  some  letters,  as  to  postscripts  ? 

6.  How  many  do  some  persons  use  ? 

7.  What  is  this  called  ? 

8.  What  is  a  postscript  of  matter  that  belongs  in  the  body  of  the  letter  ? 

9.  What  does  it  show  ? 

10.  How  may  postscripts  be  avoided? 

11.  What  is  said  about  a  variety  of  topics  in  a  business  letter? 

12.  What  should  each  topic  of  importance  be  the  subject  of? 

13.  What  should  be  done  in  case  of  after-thoughts? 

The  Character  Sf. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  How  is  it  generally  used  ? 

3.  Name  some  of  its  uses? 


Chap.  II.  J  QUESTIONS  ON  CHAP  TEE  II,  gg 

Figures  for  Words. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  For  what  has  custom  established  their  use  ? 

3.  How  should  numbers  not  be  written  ? 

4.  How  is  it  usual  to  write  amounts  in  negotiable  paper? 

5.  Where  are  the  figures  placed  in  such  cases  ? 

6.  How  are  amounts  generally  written  in  letters  acknowledging  the  receipt 
of  money  ? 

7.  What  about  beginning  sentences  with  figures  ? 

8.  To  what  do  not  these  remarks  apply  ? 


Lead-Pencil  Writing. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  What  is  said  about  writing  letters  with  pencil? 

3.  Why  not  write  with  pencil  ? 

4.  What  did  a  New  York  merchant  do  ? 

5.  How  much  did  the  lawyer  remit? 

6.  How  did  the  merchant  acknowledge  the  receipt  ? 

7.  After  his  death,  what  did  his  books  show  ? 

8.  What  did  his  letter  to  the  lawyer  show  ? 

9.  How  could  one  be  changed  to  two  ? 

10.  How  did  the  case  end? 

11.  Why  should  not  receipts  be  given  in  pencil  mark? 


PART   SECOND. 

LITERATUEE  OF  A  LETTER 


INTEODUCTION. 

EYEEY  business  man  finds  it  necessary  to  write  business 
letters ;  for,  at  the  present  day,  a  large  proportion  of  the 
commerce  of  the  world  is  carried  on  through  the  medium  of 
the  pen. 

It  is  said  to  be  a  difficult  thing  to  write  a  good  letter.  Proba- 
bly every  beginner  would  indorse  this  statement.  There  are 
some  parts  that  are  quite  easy  to  learn,  and  there  are  others  that 
are  not  so  easy.     We  have  already  passed  over  the  easy  part. 

While  it  is  comparatively  an  easy  matter,  by  patient  practice, 
to  give  to  a  letter  the  proper  mechanical  structure  and  dress,  it  is 
more  difficult  to  give  to  it  the  necessary  literary  structure  and 
dress.  This  requires  something  more  than  mere  mechanical 
ingenuity  and  skill ;  and  although  this  field  is  a  broad  one,  but 
few  definite  rules  can  be  laid  down  for  the  guidance  of  the  stu- 
dent, a  comprehension  of  which  does  not  imply  advanced  culture 
on  his  part.  With  this  the  business  student  has  not  in  all  cases 
been  favored. 

To  write  a  good  letter  on  any  subject  requires,  not  only  an 
acquaintance  with  that  subject  itself,  but  also  a  command  of 
language  suitable  for  the  purpose.  A  wide  range  of  knowledge 
is  requisite  to  good  letter-writing  on  general  subjects.  But  a 
man  may  possess  this  range  of  knowledge,  be  thoroughly  versed 
in  literature  and  the  sciences,  be  familiar  with  the  rules  of  gram- 
mar, rhetoric,  and  the  laws  of  language,  yet  be  unable  to  write 
an  acceptable  letter.  Some  very  excellent  scholars  write  poor 
letters;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  some  men  of  very  limited 
attainments,  having  no  claims  to  critical  scholarship,  may  be 
able  to  write  excellent  letters  on  subjects  with  which  they  are 
familiar. 


94  INTRODUCTION.  [Part  II. 

Many  of  our  ablest  orators  are,  in  the  liberal  sense  of  the 
phrase,  educated  men ;  but  they  are  not  all  of  this  class.  A 
college  education  is  not,  therefore,  indispensable  to  oratory.  Pat- 
rick Henry,  Henry  Clay,  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  though  not 
educated  at  the  university,  in  oratory  were  the  peers  of  Daniel 
Webster,  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  William  H.  Seward. 

So  Dr.  Franklin,  with  the  rough,  friendless  world  for  a  school- 
house,  and  a  printing-press  for  a  schoolmaster,  in  the  art  of 
letter- writing  was  the  equal  of  the  gifted  and  cultured  Madison 
or  Hamilton. 

But,  as  every  person  who  reasons  correctly  must  reason  logi- 
cally, whether  he  understands  logic  as  a  science  or  not,  so  there 
are  certain  literary  marks  in  every  good  business  letter,  whether 
the  writer  knows  the  names  and  reasons  for  such  marks  or  not. 
As  no  illogical  reasoning  can  be  correct,  however  beautiful  and 
vigorous  the  language  of  the  reasoner,  so  the  business  letter,  if 
wanting  conformity  to  certain  well-known  literary  rules,  must 
be  imperfect,  and  subject  the  writer  to  derision  and  ridicule. 

Within  the  limits  of  a  volume  of  this  size,  of  course  it  cannot 
be  expected  that  all  the  rules  essential  to  the  literary  finish  of  a 
good  business  letter  can  be  set  forth  in  order.  To  attempt  this 
would  be  to  fail.  It  would  be  an  attempt  to  write  a  complete 
cyclopaedia  of  every  department  of  human  knowledge. 

But  it  is  proposed  to  call  the  student's  attention  to  a  few  things 
to  be  observed,  and  a  few  things  to  be  avoided,  relating  to  the 
literature  of  a  business  letter,  an  acquaintance  with  which  will 
afford  him  some  aid.  Most  of  them  are  so  simple,  that  they  can 
be  understood  by  any  one  who  has  been  favored  with  the  usual 
opportunities  afforded  by  the  common  district  school ;  and  a 
young  man  should  hardly  attempt  to  obtain  a  systematic  busi- 
ness education  who  is  deficient  in  the  branches  generally  taught 
there. 

QUESTIONS  ON  THE  INTRODUCTION. 

1.  What  does  every  business  man  find  it  necessary  to  write  ? 

2.  How  is  much  of  the  world's  commerce  carried  on  ? 

3.  What  is  said  about  the  difficulty  of  writing  a  good  letter  ? 


Int-rod.]  QUESTIONS  ON  THE  INTRODUCTION  95 

4.  What  part  have  you  already  passed  over? 

5.  What  is  comparatively  an  easy  matter  ? 

6.  What  is  more  difficult  ? 

7.  What  does  the  literary  part  require  ? 

8.  What  is  said  about  rules  on  this  subject  ? 

9.  What  does  it  require  to  write  a  good  letter  on  any  subject  ? 

10.  What  is  requisite  to  good  letter- writing  on  general  subjects? 

11.  With  what  may  one  be  acquainted,  and  yet  be  unable  to  write  a  good 
letter? 

12.  What  may  one  do,  even  with  limited  attainments? 

13.  What  is  said  about  the  education  of  orators? 

14.  As  some  are  not  scholars,  what  does  this  show? 

15.  What  great  orators  are  mentioned? 

16.  What  accomplished  letter-writers  are  mentioned? 

17.  Which  of  them  was  not  a  classical  scholar? 

18.  With  whom  is  he  compared? 

19.  What  is  said  about  logical  reasoning? 

20.  What,  about  literary  marks  of  a  letter  ? 

21.  What  is  the  student's  attention  to  be  called  to? 

22.  By  whom  can  these  rules  be  understood? 


96 


THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED. 


[Part  IL 


CHAPTEE  I. 

THINGS  TO  BE   OBSERVED. 

PAET  SECO]N'D,  like  Part  First,  will  be  presented  in  two 
chapters.     Chapter  I.  will  treat  of  Things  to  he  observed,  and 
Chapter  II.  of  Things  to  he  avoided. 


SECTION    I. 

CAPITAL  LETTERS. 

BLACKBOARD  EXERCISE. 

1.  Paragraphs. 

2.  Sentences. 

3.  Poetry. 

^1.  Of  persons. 

4.  Names.    .    .    .   j  2.  Of  places. 

(  3.  Geographical. 

I'l.  Names  of  persons. 

5.  Initials.   .    .    .   J  2.  Names  of  places. 

1  3.  Literary  titles. 

1,4.  Abbreviations. 

6.  Titles. 

1.  Capitals. 

7.  Proper  adjectives. 

8.  Heaven. 

9.  Supreme  Being. 

10.  Direct  quotation. 

^1.  Nouns. 

11.  Titles  of  books.  ]  2.  Verbs. 

(  3.  Adjectives. 

12.  Titles  of  essays ;  names  of  newspapers 

13.  Pronoun  /. 

14.  Interjection  0. 

15.  Days  of  week. 

16.  Months. 

Until  you  become  familiar  with  their  use,  great  care  should 
be  taken  in  the  distribution  of  ca;pital  letters.     The  use  of  them 


Chap.  I.]  CAPITAL  LETTERS.  97 

wliere  they  do  not  belong  is  as  much  of  an  error  as  their  omis- 
sion where  they  do  belong. 

Some  authors  tell  you  that  when  your  mind  is  in  doubt  whether 
to  use  a  capital  in  a  given  case,  to  let  the  doubt  weigh  against 
its  use,  and  to  reject  it.  A  better  rule  would  be,  to  settle  the 
doubt  when  it  arises,  and  then  act  accordingly.  Next  time  you 
will  probably  have  no  doubt  about  it. 

Although  you  can  find  rules  in  every  common-school  grammar 
for  the  use  of  capital  letters,  it  is  thought  proper  to  give  a  few 
in  this  place,  as  the  work  can  hardly  be  complete  without  them. 

In  the  following  cases  a  capital  letter  should  be  used :  — 

1.  The  first  letter  of  every  paragraph. 

2.  The  first  letter  commencing  immediately  after  a  period,  used 
as  a  pause. . 

3.  The  first  letter  of  every  line  of  poetry. 

4.  The  first  letter  of  every  proper  name,  consisting  of, 

1st.  Christian  or  surnames  of  persons,  or  both  combined ;  as, 
John  Smith. 

2d.  The  names  of  places  ;  as,  Rochester,  New  York,  Buffalo. 

3d.  All  geographical  names,  such  as  are  applied  to  oceans,  seas, 
lakes,  rivers,  mountains,  states,  counties,  towns,  cities,  etc.,  etc. ; 
as,  Pacific  Ocean,  Baltic  Sea,  Lake  Erie,  St.  Lawrence  River,  Gats- 
kill  Mountains,  Pennsylvania,  Monroe  County,  Pittsburgh. 

5.  All  initial  letters,  consisting, 

1st.  Of  initials  for  the  names  of  persons  ;  as,  J.  Q.  Adams. 

2d.  For  the  names  of  places ;  as,  iV!  F!  for  New  York;  0.  for  Ohio. 

3d.  For  literary  titles ;  as,  ZZ.  D.  for  Doctor  of  Zaws ;  D.  D. 
for  Doctor  of  Divinity  ;  A.  M.  for  Master  of  Arts. 

4th.  The  letters  beginning  abbreviations,  in  cases  where,  if 
written  in  full,  the  words  should  commence  with  capitals;  as, 
Esq.  for  Esquire  ;  Capt.  for  Captain  ;  III.  for  Illinois. 

6.  The  first  letter  of  titles  of  honor,  office,  or  respect,  whether 
abbreviated  or  written  in  full ;  as.  Gen.  Wadsworth ;  Hamilton 
Fish,  Secretary  of  State. 

7.  The  first  letter  of  proper  adjectives,  or  adjectives  formed 
from  proper  names ;  as,  the  Roman  government ;  American  his- 
tory ;  the  Morse  telegraph;  Astor  Zihrary. 


98  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  II. 

8.  The  first  letter  of  any  word  that  signifies  the  place  of  hap- 
piness in  a  future  life ;  as,  Heaven ;  Paradise  of  God.  When 
heaven  is  used  in  the  plural  number,  signifying  the  sky,  it  should 
not  begin  with  a  capital ;  as,  The  heavens  were  overcast  with  clouds 
and  darkness. 

9.  The  first  letter  of  the  name  of  the  Supreme  Being,  and  of 
all  words  standing  for  that  name  ;  as,  God  ;  Lord  ;  Jehovah  ;  Fa- 
ther ;  Holy  One  ;  Eternal  One  ;  Supreme  Being,  &c. 

10.  The  first  letter  of  every  direct  quotation,  unless  introduced 
by  a  conjunction ;  as,  "  Give  me  liberty,  or  give  me  death"  It 
should  not  begin  with  a  capital  when  introduced  by  a  conjunc- 
tion ;  as.  We  have  heen  taught  that  "  honesty  is  the  test  'policy "  ; 
if  "  honesty  is  the  test  jpolicy"  let  every  business  man  rigidly  'prac- 
tice it. 

11.  In  writing  the  titles  of  books,  the  following  is  the  rule :  — 
1st.  Begin  all  nouns  with  a  capital  letter ;  as.  The  Pilgrim's 

Progress ;    The  Life  and  Writings  of  Josephus. 

2d.  Begin  all  verbs  with  a  capital;  What  I  ICnow  about 
Farming. 

3d.  Begin  all  adjectives  with  a  capital;  as,  History  of  the 
Great  American  Conflict. 

12.  All  titles  of  newspaper  articles,  literary  and  scientific,  or 
other  essays,  and  the  names  of  newspapers,  periodicals,  &c. 

13.  Always  write  the  pronoun  /  with  a  capital ;  as,  /  saw  in 
my  dream-. 

14.  Also  the  interjection  0. 

15.  Begin  the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  with  a  capital ; 
as,  Sunday,  Monday,  &c. 

16.  Begin  the  names  of  the  months  of  the  year  with  a  capital ; 
as,  January,  February,  &c. 

The  names  of  the  seasons  of  the  year  should  not  begin  with  a 
capital ;  as,  spring,  summer,  autumn,  winter. 

Although  not  strictly  correct,  business  men  usually  begin  with 
capitals  the  names  of  articles  of  merchandise,  as.  Beef,  Porh, 
Flour,  Lard,  Butter,  &c.,  when  making  biUs  of  them,  or  when 
referring  to  them  in  written  correspondence. 

There  are  no  settled  rules  for  the  use  of  capitals  in  hand-bills, 


Chap.  L]  QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  L  99 

newspaper  advertisements,  market  reports,  shipping  news,   &c. 
Every  one,  whether  writer  or  printer,  follows  his  own  taste. 

These  are  the  principal  rules  for  the  use  of  capital  letters. 
Discretion  may  sometimes  be  exercised,  and  capitals  may  be  used 
occasionally  in  cases  not  covered  by  these  rules.  You  are  more 
likely,  however,  to  use  them  where  they  do  not  belong  than  you 
are  to  omit  them  where  they  do  belong. 


QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  I. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  What  is  said  about  care  in  using  them  ? 

3.  What,  about  using  them  where  they  do  not  belong  ? 

4.  What  do  some  authors  tell  you  to  do  when  you  are  in  doubt  about  using 
them? 

5.  What  is  a  better  rule? 

6.  Why  is  that  a  better  rule  ? 

7.  What  is  the  first  rule  about  using  them  ? 

8.  What  is  the  second  rule  ? 

9.  What,  the  third? 

1 0.  What,  about  proper  names  ? 

11.  How  many  classes  of  proper  names? 

1 2.  How  are  initial  letters  to  be  written  ? 

13.  How  are  abbreviations  to  begin? 

14.  What  is  the  sixth  rule  ? 

15.  What  are  proper  adjectives  ? 

16.  With  what  letters  are  they  to  begin? 

1 7.  What  is  the  eighth  rule  ? 

18.  When  should  not  the  word  heaven  begin  with  a  capital? 

19.  What  is  said  about  writing  the  name  of  the  Supreme  Being? 

20.  What  is  the  rule  about  direct  quotations  ? 

21.  Give  some  examples  ? 

22.  What  is  the  rule  about  writing  the  titles  of  books  ? 

23.  What  is  rule  twelve  ? 

24.  What  pronoun  are  you  always  to  write  with  a  capital  letter? 

25.  What  interjection  ? 

26.  How  are  you  to  begin  the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week? 

27.  How,  the  names  of  the  months? 

28.  How,  the  names  of  the  seasons  ? 

29.  What  is  said  about  the  names  of  articles  of  merchandise  ? 
80.  What,  about  advertisements,  hand-bills,  &c.  ? 


2.  Punctuation  marks, 


100  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  H. 

SECTION    II. 

PUNCTUATION. 

The  proper  punctuation  of  a  piece  of  composition  contributes 
almost  as  much  to  the  correct  interpretation  of  the  writer's  mean- 
ing as  the  words  which  he  employs.  It  is,  however,  quite  too 
much  neglected  by  a  large  proportion  of  our  business  men. 

BLACKBOARD    EXERCISE. 

1.  The  Period.    ( . ) 

2.  The  Colon.    ( : ) 

3.  The  Semicolon.    ( ; ) 

4.  The  Comma.    ( , ) 

5.  The  Interrogation.    ( ! ) 

6.  The  Exclamation.    ( ! ) 

7.  The  Dash.    (  — ) 

8.  The  Parenthesis.    ( c  ) ) 

9.  Quotation  Marks.    ( "  " ) 
10.  The  Hyphen.    (-) 

Punctuation  is  defined  by  Webster  to  be  "  the  act  or  art  of 
punctuating  or  pointing  a  writing  or  discourse,  or  the  act  or  art 
of  marking  with  points  the  divisions  of  a  discourse  into  sen- 
tences, and  clauses  or  members  of  a  sentence." 

It  wiU  be  seen  that  this  definition  applies  to  letter-writing ; 
and  it  is  as  important  in  this  branch  of  literature  as  in  more 
elaborate  composition. 

The  student  may  learn  punctuation  either  as  an  art  or  as  a 
science,  or  as  both.  Many,  if  not  most,  of  our  best  business  letter- 
writers  learn  it  as  the  printers  generally  do,  —  by  the  eye,  or  as 
an  art.  To  understand  it  as  a  science  requires,  in  advance,  a  tol- 
erably good  knowledge  of  grammar ;  and  even  good  grammarians, 
it  is  believed,  practice  it  as  an  art  quite  as  much  as  they  do  as  a 
science. 

Punctuation  was  not  practiced  at  all  by  the  ancients ;  nor  by 


Chap.  I.]  PUNCTUATION.  101 

the  moderns  to  any  extent,  until  after  the  invention  of  printing. 
The  first  books  that  were  printed  exhibit  no  acquaintance,  by 
writer  or  printer,  with  the  subject.  In  any  such  sense  as  we  now 
understand  the  term,  punctuation  did  not  come  into  use  until  the 
sixteenth  century,  or  about  three  hundred  years  ago. 

A  letter  with  no  punctuation  marks  presents  an  unfinished 
and  unbusiness-like  appearance.  The  student  who  is  familiar 
with  the  science  of  grammar  will  easily  learn  to  punctuate  his 
letters.  But  he  who  knows  nothing  of  that  science  must  learn 
punctuation  as  an  art ;  which  can  be  done  only  by  close  observa- 
tion in  the  reading  of  matter  in  which  it  has  been  properly  done. 

It  would  be  a  useful  exercise,  and  it  is  recommended,  to  prac- 
tice copying  from  the  printed  page  such  articles  and  essays  as 
have  been  written  by  accomplished  authors,  carefully  noting  the 
punctuation. 

Write  a  few  paragraphs  daily;  and  at  first,  without  punctu- 
ating them.  Then  close  the  pamphlet  or  book,  and  proceed  to 
punctuate  your  manuscript  copy  carefully,  and  as  correctly  as 
possible.  Compare  it  then  with  the  printed  paragraph,  and 
make  the  necessary  corrections.  Eepeat  this  exercise  over  and 
over  again,  and  you  will  soon  have  the  satisfaction  of  finding 
that  you  are  advancing  in  the  art.  Any  good  work  on  letter- 
writing,  in  which  you  can  find  scores  of  letters,  will  answer  an 
excellent  purpose  for  this  exercise.  You  can  use  those  published 
as  models  in  the  latter  part  of  this  work. 

1.  THE  PERIOD.  —  The  period  indicates  the  longest  pause  of  any 
of  the  marks.  It  is  placed  at  the  end  of  every  paragraph,  and  at 
the  end  of  every  sentence,  unless  the  paragraph  ends  with,  or  the 
sentence  contains,  an  exclamation  or  question ;  as,  /  went  to  New 
York  last  week.  Did  you  go  to  New  York  yesterday  ?  0  liberty  ! 
0  sound  once  delightful  to  every  Roman  ear  ! 

In  letter-writing,  the  period  should  be  placed  at  the  end  of  the 
heading  or  date ;  as,  Rochester,  N.  Y,  August  22,  1872. 

It  should  also  be  placed  after  the  name  or  names  before  the 
complimentary  address,  or  the  address  proper  •  as,  Messrs.  Ivison, 
Blakeman,  Taylor,  &  Co.,  New  York     Gentlemen,  — 


102  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  U. 

It  should  also  be  placed  after  the  signature  to  the  letter ;  as, 
Very  respectfully  yours,  Washington  Irving. 

It  should  be  placed  at  the  end  of  the  superscription  on  the  en- 
velope ;  as,  John  Smith,  Esq.,  110  Broadway,  New  York. 

It  is  always  used  with  initials,  whether  standing  for  titles  or 
names;  also  with  abbreviations;  as,  Francis  Way  land,  LL.  D., 
for  'Doctor  of  Laws;  Geo.  H.  Burrill,  for  George  Howard  Bur- 
rill  ;  Mich,  for  Michigan  ;  Dr.  for  Doctor  ;  N.  E.  for  North  East ; 
Esq.  for  Esquire. 

2.  THE  COLON.  —  The  colon  is  used  when  the  idea  of  the  writer 
has  been  fully  stated,  but  there  is  yet  something  to  follow,  to  give 
force  to  the  statement ;  as,  /  leave  the  world  behind :  it  has  no 
joys  for  me. 

The  colon  should  be  placed  before  a  direct  quotation,  unless  in- 
troduced by  a  conjunction;  as.  The  Saviour  taught  us  to  pray: 
"  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  hread!'  And  God  said :  "  Let  there  he 
light ;  and  there  was  lights 

It  is  used  also  when  the  writer  is  about  to  particularize,  imme- 
diately before  beginning  the  items ;  as,  We  desire  to  hear  from 
you  on  the  following  points :  — 

1.  How  our  interests  will  probably  be  affected  by  the  recent  fire  in 
your  city  ;  and, 

2.  What  is  the  condition  of  the  wheat  market  in  your  vicinity. 
It  is  also  used  before  an  explanation  of  items  about  to  be 

given;  as,  Regarding  the  matter s\ of  inquiry  contained  in  your 
letter  of  the  6th  inst.,  from  present  appearances  we  can  only  say  : 
Fork  will  be  dull  for  some  time  to  come ;  Good  Beef  cannot  be  ob- 
tained  at  any  price. 

3.  THE  SEMICOLON.  —  The  semicolon  is  a  point  of  frequent  use, 
and  is  intermediate  between  the  colon  and  the  comma.  It  does 
not  indicate  as  long  a  pause  as  the  colon,  but  longer  than  the 
comma.  It  generally  shows  that  something  is  to  foUow  before 
the  sense  of  the  writer  on  what  has  been  said  can  be  complete ; 
as.  The  Latin' order  of  language  is  more  animated;  the  Englv^h 
more  clear  and  distinct.  Not  that  I  shall  be  absent;  but  I  can- 
not give  my  attention  to  the  business." 


Chap.!.]  PUNCTUATION.  103 

It  is  often  used  to  separate  the  parts  in  which  the  comma  has 
been  used;  as,  Mirth  should  he  the  emhroidery  of  conversation, 
not  the  web  ;  and  wit  the  ornament  of  the  mind,  not  the  furniture. 

4.  THE  COMMA,  —  This  point  marks  the  smallest  divisions  of 
sentences,  and  is  a  sign  of  the  shortest  pause. 

It  signifies  that  which  is  cut  off-  As  this  point  is  used  in 
punctuation  more  than  any  other,  and,  perhaps,  than  aU  others, 
the  student  is  advised  to  make  himself  familiar  with  the  rules 
for  its  application.  These  rules  are  too  numerous  to  admit  of  their 
insertion  in  a  work  of  this  size  and  design.  The  only  extensive 
work  on  the  subject  we  know  of  is  Wilson's  Punctuation.  As 
treated  in  grammars  or  rhetorics  the  student  generally  gets  as 
many  wrong  as  correct  ideas  about  the  use  of  this  point.  The 
rules  should  be  critically  studied,  and  patiently  practised,  until 
the  student  becomes  perfectly  familiar  with  them. 

5.  THE  INTERROGATION  nW, —  ThQ  interrogation  x>oint  ^ig^qAj 
belongs  at  the  end  of  every  interrogative  sentence,  or  sentence 
asking  a  question;  as,  Are  we  to  hegin  our  journey  to-morrow 
morning  1 

It  should  be  used  also  after  an  interrogative  clause  abruptly 
thrown  into  a  sentence  ;  as.  The  failure  of  the  enterprise  was  com- 
plete, {and  who  could  not  have  foretold  it  ?)  causing,  as  it  did, 
the  hanhruptcTf  of  the  projector. 

6.  THE  EXCLAMATION  POINT.  —  The  exclamation  point  is  used 
immediately  after  an  exclamatory  sentence,  clause,  phrase,  or 
word ;  as.  What  a  fall  was  that  !  0  the  folly  of  sinners  !  Fire  ! 
Fire  in  the  forest  ! 

7.  THE  DASH.  —  The  dash  is  thrown  in  as  a  mark  of  separa- 
tion between  the  main  sentence  and  parts  abruptly  introduced ; 
as.  We  are  victorious  —  witness  our  trophies  —  in  this  hloody 
contest.  It  denotes  a  break  or  suspension  of  the  sense,  and  is 
often  used  instead  of  the  comma,  semicolon,  -colon,  or  even  the 
period. 


104  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  II. 

It  is  often  used  after,  and  in  connection  with,  the  other  points, 
in  which  cases  it  signifies  that  a  longer  pause  is  to  be  observed 
than  those  points  indicate.  Generally,  in  this  country,  it  is  used 
after  the  address  in  letter-writing,  in  connection  with  the  comma 
or  colon ;  thus.  Dear  Sir,  —  Gentlemen,  — ■■ 

It  is  frequently  placed  after  the  colon,  when  the  writer  is 
about  to  particularize ;  as,  The  following  is  the  programme  of 
exercises :  — 

1.  Music  hy  the  Band. 

2.  Prayer  hy  the  Chaplain. 

3.  Oration  hy  the  Orator  of  the  Day. 

The  dash  is  used  to  indicate  the  omission  of  something,  as  fig- 
ures, letters,  names,  or  words;  ?iS,Aho2it  the  year  18 —  my  friend 

Mr. and  I  commenced  our  journey,  &c.     On  our  way  we  met 

Esq.  B n. 

The  dash  is  often  used  instead  of  marks  of  parenthesis ;  as.  We 
distinctly  saia  one  or  the  other  —  and  we  are  not  certain  which  — 
pass  our  door  about  sunset. 

8.  THE  PARENTHESIS.  — Webster  says:  "The  parenthesis  is  a 
word  or  sentence  inserted,  by  way  of  comment  or  explanation,  in 
the  midst  of  another  sentence,  of  which  it  is  independent  in  con- 
struction, and  which  is  complete  without  it."  It  is  like  a  by-path, 
into  which  the  traveler  steps  a  moment,  while  on  his  journey. 
Take  the  following  examples  :  /  have  now  lived  in  this  world 
(as  the  Family  Bihle  testifies)  a  little  over  eighty  years.  All  Chris- 
tians (of  whatever  sect)  believe  that  the  Bible  contains  the  revealed 
vjill  of  God.  We  can  promise  you  (including  those  shipped  to-day) 
five  hundred  barrels. 

It  will  be  seen  that,  if  the  phrases  included  in  the  marks  of 
parenthesis  in  the  foregoing  examples  were  entirely  omitted,  the 
sentences  would  nevertheless  be  complete.  They  have  no  gram- 
matical connection  with  the  sentences.  The  words  included  are 
not  necessary  to  make  sense,  but  are  merely  explanatory. 

9.  QUOTATION  MARKS.  —  The  quotation  marks  consist  of  two 
inverted  commas  placed  at  the  beginning  of  words,  clauses,  or 


Chap.  I.J  PUNCTUATION.  205 

sentences  which  are  taken  from  some  other  author  or  speaker,  and 
two  commas  not  inverted  placed  at  the  end;  thus,  A  quaint 
writer  observes  that  "Satan  never  proposes  partnership  with  one 
who  is  profitably  and  pleasantly  employed"  "An  idle  man's  brains 
are  Satan  s  work-shop." 

You  must  observe  that  when  you  give  the  sense  or  substance 
of  what  another  has  said,  and  not  the  exact  words,  you  are  not  to 
use  the  marks  of  quotation ;  as,  ITenry  Clay  often  said  he  would 
rather  be  right  than  be  President  of  the  United  States. 

10.  THE  HYPHEN.  —  The  hyphen  signifies  under  one,  into  one, 
together,  and  is  a  sign  used  for  joining  two  simple  words  into  one 
compound  word,  or  for  uniting  two  syllables  of  the  same  word. 
There  are  several  classes  of  cases  where  the  hyphen  is  generally 
used.  These  are,  first,  for  joining  two  or  more  simple  words  so  as 
to  form  but  one,  called  a  compound  word.  The  simple  words  are 
united  by  the  hyphen ;  thus,  two  is  a  simple  word,  and  so  is 
thirds.  United  by  a  hyphen,  we  have  two-thirds,  a  compound 
word. 

In  speaking  of  compound  words,  Kerl  says,  in  his  Comprehen- 
sive English  Grammar :  — 

"  A  compound  word  should  denote  one  idea  rather  than  two  or 
more;  or  it  should  have  a  meaning  different  from  that  of  the 
separated  words ;  or  it  should  imply  a  change  in  the  parts  of 
speech ;  or  it  should  be  known  as  the  familiar  term  for  a  certain 
object  or  attribute."  He  gives  as  examples  the  compound  words : 
Horse-fly,  orang-outang,  goose-berry,  to-night,  wild-rose,  slippery-elm, 
apple-orchard,  &c. 

In  the  second  place,  in  simple  words  of  two  or  more  sylla- 
bles, the  hyphen  is  used  only  at  the  end  of  a  line  at  the  right, 
to  connect  the  part  of  the  word  written  there  with  the  part 
that  is  carried  forward  to  be  finished  on  the  next  line.  In  such 
cases  it  connects  syllables  only.  It  must  not  be  used  to  con- 
nect parts  of  syllables.  Here  is  a  correct  use  of  it :  The  Let- 
ters of  Junius  are  anonymous.  Incorrect  use  of  it :  This  commun- 
ication is  confidential. 

A  third  class  of  cases  is  when  "  the  hyphen  is  used  to  distin- 
5* 


106  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  H. 

guish  words  of  similar  spelling,  but  different  pronunciation  and 
meaning ;  also,  to  form  one  compound  term  of  words  which,  if 
not  thus  united,  would  have  a  different  signification. 

"  Thus,  re-creation  means  the  act  of  creating  again  ;  and  when  the 
word  is  so  written  the  first  e  is  long,  as  in  me.  If  we  omit  the 
hyphen,  we  have  recreation,  —  quite  a  different  word,  equivalent 
to  relaxation,  amusement;  and  we  must  give  the  first  vowel  the 
sound  of  e  in  met!'  —  Quackenbos's  Composition  and  Bhetoric,  pp. 
143,  144. 

Fourth,  it  is  also  used  between  two  vowels  to  show  that  they 
belong  to  different  syllables  ;  as,  co-operate,  re-enter. 

The  hyphen  is  not  to  be  used  as  a  connective  of  the  letters  of 
a  word  of  one  syllable.  Such  a  word  must  not  be  written  partly 
on  one  line  and  finished  on  the  other.  If  there  is  not  room  to 
write  the  entire  word  at  the  end  of  the  line  at  the  right,  carry  it 
to  the  next  line.  Inequality  of  spaces  at  the  right  does  not  hurt 
the  appearance  of  your  page. 


QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  11. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  How  is  punctuation  defined? 

3.  How  may  it  be  learned? 

4.  How  do  most  persons  learn  it? 

5.  How  do  printers  learn  it? 

6.  What  is  necessary  in  order  to  understand  it  as  a  science? 

7.  How  long  since  it  was  introduced? 

8.  How  does  a  letter  appear  without  it? 

9.  Who  can  easily  learn  it  ? 

10.  What  would  be  a  useful  exercise? 

11.  How  should  you  do  this? 

1 2.  What  satisfaction  will  this  afford  ? 

13.  What  work  can  be  selected  for  this? 

14.  What  does  the  period  indicate  ? 

15.  Where  is  it  placed  ? 

16.  What  are  the  exceptions? 

17.  Where  should  it  first  be  placed  in  a  letter? 

18.  Where,  next? 

19.  In  what  other  places? 

20.  Where,  on  the  envelope  ? 


Chap.  I.]  QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  11.  107 

21.  How  is  it  used  with  initials? 

22.  AVhen  is  the  colon  used? 

23.  How  is  it  made  ? 

24.  How  is  it  used  with  quotations? 

25.  How,  in  particularizing  items  ? 

26.  Describe  a  semicolon. 

27.  What  is  the  pause  indicated  by  it? 

28.  What  does  it  generally  show? 

29.  What  does  the  comma  mark  ? 

30.  What  does  it  signify? 

31.  How  much  is  it  used? 

32.  Where  can  rules  be  found  for  its  use? 

33.  Where  does  the  interrogation-point  belong  ? 

34.  In  what  clauses  should  it  be  used  ? 

35.  Where  is  the  exclamation-point  used? 

36.  Wliere  is  the  dash  used  ? 

37.  What  does  it  denote? 

38.  What  is  it  often  used  instead  of? 

39.  When  used  with  other  points,  what  does  it  indicate? 

40.  How  is  it  used  with  the  address  in  a  letter? 

41.  How  is  it  used  with  the  colon? 

42.  How  is  it  used  for  omissions? 

43.  What  is  the  parenthesis? 

44.  What  is  it  compared  with  ? 

45.  What  do  the  quotation-marks  consist  of? 

46.  What  are  they  used  for  ? 

47.  When  are  they  not  used,  though  referring  to  the  language  of  another? 

48.  What  does  the  hyphen  signify  ? 

49.  What  is  it  used  for? 

50.  What  is  the  first  class  of  cases? 

51.  What  does  Kerl  say  about  compound  words? 

52.  What  examples  does  he  give? 

53.  What  is  the  second  class  of  cases  for  its  use? 

54.  What  does  it  connect  in  such  cases  ? 

55.  What  is  the  third  class  of  cases  for  its  use  ? 

56.  The  fourth? 

57.  What  is  said  of  its  use  as  a  connective  of  letters  in  words  of  one  syl- 
lable? 


Things  to  be  observed. 


103  THINGS   TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  11. 

SECTION    III. 

LITERARY   ITEMS. 

BLACKBOARD    EXERCISE. 

From  section  3  to  9  inclusive. 

1.  Capital  Letters.* 

2.  Punctuation.* 

3.  Arrangement  of  Items. 

4.  Spelling. 

5.  Grammatical  Accuracy. 

6.  Brevity. 

7.  Style. 

8.  Short  Sentences. 

9.  Abbreviations. 

3.  ARRANGEMENT  OF  ITEMS.  —  When  a  letter  is  to  contain  several 
business  items,  these  items  should  be  noted  down,  and  arranged 
according  to  their  proper  order  of  presentation,  before  beginning 
the  letter.  Particularly  this  should  be  done  by  those  who  have 
had  but  little  practice  in  letter- writing.  If  this  preparation  for 
the  letter  is  not  made,  some  item  may  be  overlooked,  or  you  may 
be  compelled  to  make  it  the  subject  of  an  awkward  postscript,  or 
the  arrangement  of  the  items  in  the  letter  may  be  without  sys- 
tem, and  such  as  to  bring  things  together  which  have  no  rela- 
tion whatever  to  each  other. 

This  advice  is  especially  applicable  when  your  letter  is  to  be 
an  answer  to  one  which  you  have  received.  Itemize  the  points, 
and  arrange  them  in  the  proper  order,  before  beginning  your 
answer. 

Business  men  often  receive  letters  in  answer  to  their  own  in 
which  there  is  no  mention  of  the  very  thing  of  most  importance  for 
them  to  know.  By  next  mail,  perhaps,  or  two  or  three  days  later, 
the  omission  may  happen  to  be  discovered  by  the  writer,  and  he 

*  These  sections  have  been  analyzed,  but  are  included  here  as  belonging 
to  the  general  division  of  "  Things  to  he  observed.** 


Cliap.  I.]  LITERARY  ITEMS.  109 

despatches  a  supplementary  letter,  covering  the  subject  which 
belonged  in,  but  was  left  out  of,  the  first.  But,  in  the  mean  time, 
business  of  importance  had  to  be  transacted,  in  ignorance  of  the 
very  item  of  information  contained  in  the  supplementary  letter. 
Hundreds  or  thousands  of  dollars  may  have  been  lost,  on  account 
of  the  correspondent's  neglect. 

Jotting  down  the  heads  or  items  before  beginning  your  letter 
will  effectually  guard  against  these  omissions. 

4.  SPELLING.  —  If  you  are  prone  to  incorrect  spelling,  that  bad 
habit  must  be  corrected,  no  matter  what  the  cost  of  labor  and 
attention.  Some  persons  learn  to  spell  by  the  eye,  some  by 
sound,  and  others  by  both. 

Printers  and  educated  deaf  and  dumb  persons,  as  classes,  are 
among  the  very  best  spellers  ;  and  they  learn  chiefly,  if  not  en- 
tirely, to  spell  by  sight.  Spelled  wrong,  the  word  does  not  look 
right,  whether  written  or  printed. 

The  deaf  mute  has  no  idea  of  sound,  and  cannot  be  taught  any- 
thing about  it.  Yet  write  or  print  any  word  incorrectly,  which 
his  eye  has  once  seen  written  or  printed,  and  he  detects  the  error 
at  once.  Take  as  an  example  the  word  until,  on  which  so  many 
persons  blunder,  and  write  it  untill,  and  he  does  not  know  what 
it  means.  To  his  eye,  it  is  a  strange  word ;  he  knows  no  such  in 
our  language. 

So  take  the  word  hright,  and  write  it  hrite  ;  the  word  hrilliant, 
and  write  it  hriliant ;  the  word  gone,  and  write  it  gon ;  and  he 
who  spells  by  sight  will  observe  the  error  at  a  glance. 

Nearly  all  our  knowledge  of  spelling  comes  by  sight ;  and, 
therefore,  correct  spelling  is  the  result  of  practice  in  reading  and 
writing.  The  old-fashioned  method  of  learning  this  art  by  stand- 
ing in  a  class,  and  receiving  the  words  from  the  teacher,  and  then 
spelling  at  them,  never  made  a  good  speller  since  the  first  speU- 
ing-book  was  published. 

Careful  reading  and  careful  writing,  with  close  attention  to  the 
rules  of  orthography,  will,  in  the  course  of  time,  make  a  good 
speller  of  almost  any  person.  These  rules  may  be  found  in  the 
spelling-book  and  dictionary. 


110  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  IL 

Every  student  should  have  a  dictionary  at  his  elbow ;  and  it 
should  be  consulted  with  frequency.  Indeed,  every  family  ought 
to  have  a  dictionary  in  every  occupied  room.  There  should  be 
one  in  the  parlor,  one  in  the  sitting-room,  one  in  the  dining-room, 
one  in  the  nursery,  one  in  the  kitchen,  and  one  in  every  bedroom. 
The  dictionary  is  an  article  of  necessity.  No  child  of  ten  years  old 
should  be  allowed  to  be  without  one.  A  copy  can  be  procured 
for  a  few  shillings  at  any  bookstore.  It  is  the  cheapest  book  sold, 
and  the  best,  except  the  Bible.  Indeed,  you  need  the  one  to  un- 
derstand the  other. 

Webster's  and  Worcester  s  are  the  standard  authorities  in  this 
country ;  some  give  preference  to  the  one,  and  some  to  the  other ; 
and  although  they  differ  in  the  orthography  of  some  words,  if  one 
spells  according  to  either  author,  he  will  at  least  escape  ridicule. 
They  can  be  obtained  at  all  prices,  from  fifty  cents  each  to  ten  or 
twelve  dollars  ;  and  of  all  sizes,  containing  from  five  thousand  to 
a  hundred  thousand  words. 

A  letter  having  in  it  a  single  word  misspelled  stamps  the 
writer  with  gross  ignorance  or  with  unpardonable  carelessness. 
He  should  never  use  a  word  on  paper  that  he  does  not  know 
how  to  spell  correctly.  A  mistake  of  this  kind  is  sure  to  excite 
contempt  for  the  writer,  unless  the  reader  is  himself  an  igno- 
ramus. In  letter-writing  bad  spelling  is  the  very  climax  of 
blunders.  Do  unexceptionably  well  whatever  else  you  may,  if 
you  have  misspelled  a  word  in  your  letter,  you  have  spoiled  it. 
Unless  you  can  properly  mend  it,  rewrite  your  letter. 

5.  GRAfflATICAL  ACCURACY.  —  Whoever  writes  correctly  writes 
grammatically,  whether  he  knows  anything  of  the  rules  of  gram- 
mar or  not.  Undoubtedly  one  may  learn  by  long  practice  to  con- 
struct sentences  that  shall  be  strictly  grammatical,  though  he  be 
ignorant  of  the  rules  of  syntax.  But  if  he  intends  to  become  a 
business  man,  and  aspires  to  take  rank  with  the  intelligent  of 
his  class,  as  a  matter  of  economy  he  should  make  himself  well 
acquainted  with  the  principles  of  English  grammar.  He  will 
find  this  the  shortest  path  to  correctness  in  epistolary  composi- 
tion.    He  will  not  only  know  when  he  has  constructed  a  sen- 


Chap.  I.]  LITERARY  ITEMS,  HI 

tence  properly  or  improperly,  but  he  will  be  able  to  subject  it 
to  the  gTammatical  rules,  and  thereby  know  why  it  is  right  or 
wrong. 

The  unpracticed  writer  should  submit  his  letters  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  some  friend,  competent  to  criticise,  before  committing 
them  to  the  mail,  or  forwarding  them  to  their  destination.  He 
will  be  enabled  to  learn  much  in  regard  to  his  faults  in  composi- 
tion, and  how  to  correct  them.  He  must  not  lose  his  patience  if 
his  manuscript  is  severely  handled,  —  not  even  if  he  finds  it 
necessary  to  rewrite  the  whole.  Our  best  friends  are  those  whoi, 
in  the  proper  spirit,  show  us  our  faults. 

6.  BREVITY.  —  A  business  letter  should  be  brief,  and  its  sen- 
tences should  go  direct  to  the  point.  With  the  exception  of  the 
usual  complimentary  formalities,  it  should  not  contain  a  single 
superfluous  word. 

This  is  by  no  means  necessarily  inconsistent  with  a  long  letter. 
Wliatever  is  said  should  be  hriefly  said.  You  may  find  it  neces- 
sary to  include  many  topics  in  one  letter,  though  generally  in  a 
business  letter  this  will  hardly  be  advisable.  But  when  it  is 
necessary,  though  everything  be  said  in  the  fewest  possible  words, 
you  will  be  obliged  to  write  a  long  one,  perhaps  several  pages. 

But  as  a  long  letter  may  be  too  short,  so  a  short  one  may  be  too 
long.  The  time  to  close  is,  just  when  you  have  said  exactly  what 
you  intend,  and  in  words  that  will  convey  to  the  party  addressed 
your  precise  intention,  and  nothing  more.  To  say  more  will  be 
likely  to  weaken  what  you  have  said,  and  shed  darkness  rather 
than  light  on  your  subject. 

Some  persons  have  a  propensity  to  write  long  letters,  as  others 
have  to  make  long  speeches.  They  seem  to  think  that  the 
strength  of  their  productions  must  be  in  exact  proportion  to  their 
length.  The  Widow  Bedott  said  she  always  made  her  poetry  long 
enough  to  be  worth  reading.  The  widow's  idea  is  practically 
adopted  by  some  letter- writers.  They  seem  to  think  the  length 
of  a  letter  decides  its  ability. 

As  already  stated,  except  the  usual  complimentary  features, 
not  a  superfluous  sentence,  clause,  or  word  should  be  inserted  in 


112-  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  II. 

a  business  letter.  The  author  should  bear  in  mind  that  he  is 
responsible  for  what  he  writes  ;  and  if  his  letter  is  unnecessarily- 
long,  a  critical  construction  of  his  language  may  lead  the  reader  to 
a  different  conclusion  from  what  was  intended.  If  a  lawsuit  fol- 
lows, the  reader  may  be  a  juror  in  the  box,  or  a  judge  on  the 
bench.     There  is  always  danger  in  over-saying  or  saying  too  much. 

Business  men  prefer  that  business  letters  should  be  brief,  and 
to  the  point.  "  A  waste  of  words  is  a  waste  of  time  both  to  him 
who  writes  and  to  him  who  reads  a  letter."  If  a  letter  is  properly 
divided  into  paragraphs,  and  is  properly  punctuated,  there  will  be 
little  if  any  danger  of  redundancy  of  language.  Hence  the  im- 
portance of  writing  out  the  chief  points  or  heads,  the  subjects  of 
the  paragraphs,  as  already  recommended,  before  giving  form  to 
the  letter. 

But,  while  brevity  is  recommended  as  the  soul  of  a  business 
letter,  it  is  equally  important  that  your  letter  should  give  "  all 
the  necessary  particulars  of  the  transaction  to  which  it  refers." 
Let  nothing  be  omitted  or  left  to  inference  or  the  discretion  of 
the  reader,  unless  it  is  already  well  understood  by  the  parties,  or 
is  a  matter  of  well-settled  business  usage. 

7.  STYLE.  —  When  we  speak  of  the  style  of  a  letter,  we  mean 
simply  the  manner  of  the  writer,  in  his  use  of  language  to  express 
his  thoughts  or  meaning.  We  are  often  directed  to  ^vrite  just  as 
we  would  talk ;  for  it  is  said  writing  is  only  talking  on  paper. 
In  other  words  we  are  told  that  a  letter  should  be  conversational 
in  style,  —  one  should  write  to  his  correspondent  as  he  would 
converse  with  him  face  to  face. 

This  advice  is  easy  to  give,  but  not  always  easy  to  foUow. 
Besides,  it  is  hardly  desirable  to  follow  it  unless  we  are  good 
talkers.  Very  few  persons  talk  with  the  same  grammatical  and 
rhetorical  accuracy  that  might  be  expected  of  them  in  writing. 
Some  persons  talk  more  acceptably  than  they  write ;  while  others 
write  more  acceptably  than  they  talk. 

While,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  advice  to  write  as  you  would 
talk  may  be  followed,  it  is  utterly  impracticable  to  follow  it 
fully  or  even  generally.     You  might  as  well  endeavor  to  convert 


Chap.  I.]  LITERARY  ITEMS.  113 

an  essay  into  a  dialogue  or  colloquy.  When  you  write,  there  is  one 
to  read,  and  who  will  read  without  interrupting  you.  But  when 
you  talk,  there  is  usually  at  least  one  to  "  talk  back."  If  that 
one  would  keep  silence,  you  might  talk  as  you  would  write ;  or 
if,  when  you  write,  your  correspondent  were  present,  to  deal  in 
suggestions  and  interruptions,  and  talk  back,  you  might  write 
as  you  would  talk. 

When  you  are  advised  to  write  as  you  would  talk,  you  should 
be  sure  that  you  talk  correctly,  before  concluding  to  follow  the 
advice ;  for,  while  mistakes  and  blunders  in  conversation  will  be 
overlooked,  they  will  be  set  down  against  you  in  a  letter. 

Yes ;  if  we  always  thoroughly  considered  what  we  were  about 
to  say,  and  our  auditor  kept  silence  while  we  were  talking,  then 
the  advice  to  write  as  we  would  talk  might  be  judicious.  All 
that  can  be  intended  by  this  advice  is,  that  your  writing  shall  be 
as  destitute  of  pomp,  mock-dignity,  and  bombast,  as  model  con- 
versation would  be  on  the  same  subject.  A  business  letter  should 
always  be  dignified  and  respectful,  but  without  effort  at  spread- 
eagle  display. 

A  great  deal  is  said  about  style  in  writing,  as  though  it  were 
something  to  be  adopted  or  rejected,  as  a  tailor  would  adopt  or 
reject  a  fashion-plate.  The  best  advice  to  the  student  is  to  make 
no  attempt  whatever  at  style ;  and  if  he  follows  this  advice,  no 
one  will  be  likely  to  find  fault  with  his  style.  Let  him  say  what 
he  has  to  say  with  all  possible  simplicity  of  language,  avoiding 
all  effort  at  ostentatious  display  of  words. 

Blair  says  that  good  style  consists  of  perspicuity  and  orna- 
ment ;  and  this  is  only  saying,  in  other  words,  that  it  consists  in 
expressing  clearly  what  one  has  to  say,  and  in  the  best  words 
that  can  be  selected  for  that  purpose. 

Perspicuity  is  all-important  in  a  business  letter.  To  secure 
this,  never  crowd  into  one  sentence  what  may  properly  be  the 
subject  of  two  or  more.  Compounding  ideas  in  a  single  sentence 
will  generally  lead  to  confusion. 

Ornament,  in  the  rhetorical  sense  of  the  word,  has  no  proper 
place  in  the  ordinary  business  letter.  It  may  do  in  official  or 
state  papers  ;  but  the  style  of  a  business  letter,  if  it  may  be  caUed 


114  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  IL 

style,  should  be  clear,  compact,  and  even  commonplace.  Write 
as  you  talk  when  you  have  well  considered  what  you  are  about 
to  say,  and  when  you  talk  correctly. 

8.  SHORT  SENTENCES.  —  In  business  letters  short  sentences  are 
preferable  to  long  ones.  They  are  generally  clearer  and  more 
forcible.  Long  sentences  usually  require  more  skill  in  construc- 
tion than  short  ones,  and  are  more  liable  to  be  misunderstood  by 
the  reader. 

Dr.  Blair  says :  "  Long  periods  require,  evidently,  more  atten- 
tion than  short  ones,  in  order  to  perceive  clearly  the  connection 
of  the  several  parts,  and  to  take  in  the  whole  at  one  view." 

Take  the  following  example  of  a  long  period,  and  then  let  it  be 
divided  into  several :  — 

"  Sir,  —  In  announcing  the  opening  of  a  Wine,  Spirit,  and  Beer 
Store  on  these  premises,  for  the  sale  of  these  articles,  wholesale 
and  retail,  in  casks  and  bottles,  I  beg  leave  to  acquaint  you  with 
my  determination  to  select  none  but  the  choicest  and  most  ap- 
proved quahties  of  the  different  descriptions  of  each ;  by  which 
means  I  shall,  at  all  times,  have  it  in  my  power  to  insure  to  my 
friends  and  customers  such  articles  as  will,  I  trust,  merit  their 
approbation,  and  obtain  for  me  a  continuance  of  their  favors." 

ISow  let  us  divide  this  long  sentence  so  as  to  make  several  sen- 
tences of  it,  each  complete  in  itself ;  and  we  shall  see  how  much 
easier  it  is,  not  only  to  read  it,  but  to  understand  the  writer. 

"  Sir,  —  I  take  pleasure  in  announcing  that  I  have  just  opened 
on  these  premises  a  store  for  the  sale  of  Wine,  Spirits,  and  Beer, 
at  wholesale  and  retail.  These  articles  will  be  put  up  in  casks 
and  bottles.  I  beg  to  acquaint  you  with  my  determination  to 
select  none  but  the  choicest  and  most  approved  qualities  of  the 
different  descriptions  of  each.  By  this  means  I  shall,  at  all  times, 
have  it  in  my  power  to  insure  to  my  friends  and  customers  such 
articles  as  will,  I  trust,  merit  their  approbation  and  secure  a  con- 
tinuance of  their  favors." 

When  you  have  written  a  business  letter  containing  sentences 
of  considerable  length,  it  will  be  well  to  review  it,  and  see  if  it 
cannot  be  improved  by  dividing  them,  as  in  the  example  just  given. 


Chap.  L]  QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  IIL  115 

9.  ABBREVIATIONS.  —  There  are  well-known  ahhreviations  proper 
to  be  used  in  business  letters.  The  student  should  take  care  to 
use  them  correctly,  and  to  punctuate  them  properly.  All  abbre- 
viations require  punctuation.  If  not  punctuated,  they  may  be 
mistaken  for  some  other  words  than  those  that  are  intended.  For 
instance,  we  read  that  "  Brown  &  Co  have  failed  in  business"  As 
here  written,  we  must  understand  that  there  were  two  men  in 
business  together,  —  one  by  the  name  of  Mr.  Brown,  and  the  other 
by  the  name  of  Mr.  Co,  —  and  that  they  have  failed.  But  if  you 
place  a  period  after  the  letter  o,  you  have  written  Brown  and  Com- 
pany ;  the  last  word  signifying,  perhaps,  a  dozen  persons  more  or 
less. 

Abbreviations  of  Christian  names  are  quite  usual  in  letter- 
writing  ;  for  instance,  Geo.  for  George  ;  Chas.  for  Charles  ;  Wm.  for 
William,  &c.  But  in  letter- writing  never  abbreviate  surnames  ; 
as,  Mr.  Geo.  for  Mr.  George  ;  Mr.  Chas.  for  Mr.  Charles  ;  Mr.  Wms. 
for  Mr.  Williams.  In  law  books,  where  there  are  usually  numer- 
ous citations  of  authorities,  the  surnames  of  authors  are  generally 
abbreviated ;  as,  Cow.  B.  for  Cowen's  Beports  ;  Johns.  B.  for  John- 
son's Beports,  &c. 

Punctuation  gives  the  character,  so  to  speak,  to  the  abbrevia- 
tion. For  instance,  cwt.  without  being  followed  by  a  period  would 
mean  nothing.  With  the  period,  we  have  written  a  hundred  weight ; 
so  lb.,  pound ;  yd.,  yard.  In  every  counting-room  may  be  seen 
letters  in  which  abbreviations  are  profusely  used,  but  unaccom- 
panied by  marks  of  punctuation. 

Do  not  write,  in  your  business  letters,  nox  in  any  others,  cant 
for  can  not ;  sha' n't  for  shall  not;  dont  for  do  not;  wont  for 
will  not ;  would  n't  for  would  not.  This  sort  of  slipshod  writing 
may  do  for  colloquies  in  novels ;  but  such  contractions  have  a 
bad  look  in  business  correspondence. 

QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  IIL 

Arrangement  of  Items. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  should  you  do  before  writing  a  letter  consisting  of  several  items? 

3.  What  is  said  about  their  arrano-ement  ? 


116  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  II. 

4.  What  reason  is  given  for  this  ? 

5.  To  whom  is  this  direction  specially  applicable  ? 

6.  How  are  business  men  often  troubled  ? 

7.  When  is  a  supplementary  letter  necessary  ? 

8.  What  losses  may  arise  on  account  of  this  ? 

9.  How  can  you  guard  against  these  omissions  ? 

Spelling. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  If  you  are  prone  to  incorrect  spelling,  what  must  be  done  ? 

3.  How  do  some  persons  learn  to  spell? 

4.  Who  are  among  the  best  spellers  ? 

5.  How  do  they  learn  to  spell  ? 

6.  How  do  the)'  detect  misspelling  ? 

7.  What  idea  of  sound  has  the  deaf  mute? 

8.  Then  how  does  he  detect  errors  in  spelling  ? 

9.  What  examples  can  you  give  ? 

10.  What  is  a  misspelt  word  to  his  eye  ? 

11.  How  does  nearly  all  our  knowledge  of  speUing  come? 

12.  AYhat  is  correct  spelling  the  result  of? 

13.  What  is  said  of  the  old-fashioned  method? 

14.  What  will  make  a  good  speller  of  almost  any  one? 

15.  Where  may  rules  for  spelling  be  found  ? 

16.  What  should  every  student  have? 

1 7.  How  often  should  he  consult  it  ? 

18.  Where  ought  every  family  to  have  a  dictionary? 

19.  What  is  it  an  article  of? 

20.  "Where  can  a  copy  be  obtained  ? 

21.  What  is  its  cost? 

22.  What  authors  are  the  standard  authorities  ? 

23.  What  do  they  differ  in  ? 

24.  What  is  said  about  spelling  according  to  either  ? 

25.  What,  about  prices  and  sizes  ? 

26.  What  is  the  effect  of  a  single  misspelt  word  in  a  letter? 

27.  What  words  should  the  writer  not  use  ? 

28.  What  is  a  mistake  in  spelling  sure  to  excite  ? 

29.  What  is  the  climax  of  blunders  in  letter-writing  ? 

30.  What  is  the  effect  on  your  letter  ? 

Grammatical  Accuracy, 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  Who  writes  grammatically  ? 

3.  What  may  long  practice  enable  one  to  do  without  a  knowledge  of  the 
rules  of  syntax  ? 


Chap.  I.]  QUESTIONS  ON  SECTION  IIL  117 

4.  What  is  said  of  the  economy  of  studying  grammar? 

5.  Why  is  this  economical  ? 

6.  Of  what  use  are  grammatical  rules  ? 

7.  To  whom  should  the  unpracticed  writer  submit  his  letters  ? 

8.  Why  should  he  do  this  ? 

9.  What  if  his  manuscript  is  severely  handled  ? 
10.  Who  are  our  best  friends  ? 

Brevity. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  is  said  about  this  as  to  business  letters  ? 

3.  What,  about  superfluous  words  ? 

4.  How  can  a  short  letter  be  too  long  ? 

5.  What  is  said  about  many  topics  in  one  letter  ? 

6.  When  is  the  time  to  close  your  letter  ? 

7.  Why  not  say  more  ? 

8.  What  is  the  propensity  of  some  persons  ? 

9.  What  do  they  seem  to  think  ? 

10.  What  did  the  Widow  Bedott  say  about  her  poetry? 

1 1 .  Who  practically  adopt  her  idea  ? 

12.  What  should  the  letter-writer  bear  in  mind? 

13.  What  may  be  the  result  of  too  long  a  letter? 

14.  In  case  of  a  lawsuit,  who  may  be  the  reader? 

15.  Of  what  is  there  danger? 

16.  What  is  a  waste  of  words  ? 

1 7.  How  may  redundancy  of  language  be  avoided? 

18.  What  does  this  show  the  importance  of? 

1 9.  What  is  as  important  as  brevity  ? 

20.  WTiat  is  said  in  reference  to  omissions  ?     ^ 

Style. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  do  we  mean  by  style  ? 

3.  How  are  we  often  directed  to  write  ? 

4.  Why  are  we  so  directed  ? 

6.  In  style,  what  should  a  business  letter  be  ? 

6.  Is  it  easy  to  follow  this  advice  ? 

7.  Why  is  it  not  desirable  to  always  follow  it  ? 

8.  Which  is  the  more  common,  to  talk  or  to  write  grammatically  ? 

9.  How  is  it  with  some  persons  ? 

10.  What  might  as  well  be  attempted  as  to  attempt  to  write  as  you  would 
talk? 

11.  Why  cannot  one  write  as  he  talks  ? 

1 2.  Under  what  circumstances  could  one  write  as  he  would  talk  ? 


118  THINGS  TO  BE  OBSERVED.  [Part  11. 

13.  Before  following  the  advice  to  write  as  you  would  talk,  what  should 
you  be  sure  of  ? 

14.  How  will  mistakes  in  conversation  be  regarded? 

15.  How,  in  writing  ? 

16.  What  is  meant,  then,  by  the  advice  to  write  as  you  would  talk? 

1 7.  How  should  a  business  letter  be  as  to  style  ? 

18.  What  is  the  best  advice  as  to  attempting  style? 

19.  How  should  one  say  what  he  has  to  say? 

20.  Wliat  does  Blair  say  style  consists  of  ? 

21.  What  does  this  really  mean? 

22.  What  is  all-important  in  a  business  letter? 

23.  How  may  this  be  secured  ? 

24.  Why  not  compound  ideas  in  a  single  sentence  ? 

25.  What  is  said  about  ornament  in  a  business  letter? 

26.  Where  is  it  appropriate  ? 

2  7.  What  is  the  conclusion  about  writing  as  you  talk  ? 

SJiort  Sentences. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  Which  kind  of  sentence  is  preferable  in  a  business  letter  ? 

3.  Why  is  it  preferable  ? 

4.  What  do  long  sentences  require  ? 

5.  What  are  they  liable  to  ? 

6.  What  does  Dr.  Blair  say  about  them? 

7.  What  mistake  did  the  wine-merchant  make  in  his  letter  ? 

8.  When  is  it  well  to  review  your  business  letter  ? 

9.  For  what  purpose  ? 

Ahhreviations. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  What  care  should  you  take  about  their  use  ? 

3.  What  do  they  all  require  ? 

4.  What,  if  they  are  not  punctuated? 

5.  What  might  Co.  be  taken  for  if  not  ?  . 

6.  What  does  the  addition  of  a  period  do? 

7.  What  does  punctuation  give  to  the  abbreviation  ? 

8.  What  names  should  not  be  abbreviated  ? 

9.  What  about  the  abbreviation  ciot.  ? 

10.  What,  if  not  punctuated? 

11.  What,  of  other  abbreviations? 

12.  What  is  said  about  contractions? 


Chap.  ILJ  LITERARY  FAULTS.  II9 


CHAPTEE    II. 

'  THINGS  TO   BE  AVOIDED. 
BLACKBOARD    EXERCISE. 


To  be  avoided. 


1.  Bombast. 

2.  Slang  Words. 

3.  Foreign  Words  and  Phrases. 

4.  Tautology.  I  ^:°J-;^-- 

5.  Parentheses. 


THE  fact  that  there  are  Tilings  to  he  ohserved  in  the  Literature 
of  a  letter  logically  implies  that  tliere  are  Things  to  he 
avoided.  If  one  ohserves  correct  spelling,  grammatical  accuracy, 
brevity,  and  short  sentences,  he  will  of  course  avoid  incorrect 
spelling,  grammatical  inaccuracy,  prolixity,  and  long  sentences. 
But  it  is  proposed  to  notice  a  few  things  to  be  avoided,  the 
avoidance  of  which  is  not  necessarily  implied  in  the  observance 
of  the  things  included  in  Chapter  I.,  of  Part  Second  of  this  work. 
They  are  the  more  common  errors  into  which  unpractised  letter- 
writers  are  liable  to  faU. 

1.  BOMBAST.  —  Bomhast  is  directly  the  opposite  of  simplicity  of 
language.  Highflown  words,  pompous  expressions,  and  parade  of 
language  are  out  of  place  in  almost  any  kind  of  composition ;  but 
in  a  business  letter  they  are  simply  ridiculous,  inspiring  con- 
tempt, and  even  pity,  for  the  writer.  The  simplest  language, 
provided  it  convey  your  meaning,  is  the  very  best  that  you  can 
employ  in  writing  a  business  letter. 

By  tills,  it  is  not  meant  that  one  should  employ  low,  mean,  and 
childish  expressions.  There  is  scarcely  any  subject,  especially  of 
a  business  nature,  that  cannot  be  properly  presented  in  plain  and 
simple  words. 


120  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  IL 

Dr.  Blair  says :  "  It  will  be  found  to  hold  without  exception, 
that  the  most  sublime  authors  are  the  simplest  in  their  style; 
and  wherever  you  find  a  writer  who  affects  a  more  than  ordinary 
pomp  and  parade  of  words,  and  is  always  endeavoring  to  magnify 
his  subject  by  epithets,  there  you  may  immediately  suspect  that, 
feeble  in  sentiment,  he  is  studying  to  support  himself  by  mere 
expression." 

The  same  eminent  writer  says  of  bombast,  that  it  "lies  in 
forcing  an  ordinary  or  trivial  object  out  of  its  rank,  and  endeavor- 
ing to  raise  it  into  the  sublime ;  or  in  attempting  lo  exalt  a  sub- 
lime object  beyond  all  natural  and  reasonable  bounds." 

Young  persons  are  more  prone  to  such  attempts  than  those 
who  are  older.  Some  are  not  satisfied  to  walk  on  the  earth's  sur- 
face, but  must  travel  among  the  clouds  and  stars,  or  not  travel 
at  all.  Bear  in  mind  that  the  language  of  simplicity  should 
characterize  the  business  letter.  Bombast  is  ridiculous  and  dis- 
gusting. 

2..  SLING  WORDS  AND  PHRASES.  — AU  slang  words  and  phrases 
should  be  avoided  in  business  letters,  however  familiar  you  may 
be  with  your  correspondent,  or  however  appropriate,  in  special  in- 
stances, they  might  seem  to  be. 

Your  letter  will  be  accepted  as  a  tjrpe  of  your  mind  and  an 
index  to  your  thoughts.  If  you  wish  to  escape  the  charge  of 
coarseness  and  vulgarity,  avoid  the  use  of  those  expressions  that 
originate  in  prize-rings  and  circuses,  not  to  speak  of  places  lower 
still,  and  that  are  peculiar  to  professional  boxers,  clowns,  and 
libertines. 

Chaste  and  pure  language  can  be  employed  to  as  good  advan- 
tage in  business  correspondence  as  in  the  learned  professions,  or 
as  in  writing  letters  of  a  literary,  scientific,  or  sentimental  char- 
acter. Indeed,  slang  phraseology  is  less  excusable  in  business 
letters,  as  no  possible  apology  for  its  use  there  can  be  invented ; 
while  it  is  barely  possible  that,  from  the  nature  of  some  other 
subjects,  or  from  the  familiarity  of  the  parties  with  each  other, 
a  little  latitude  of  liberty  for  its  use  might  be  assumed  in  some 
instances  without  giving  offence. 


Chap,  n.]  LITERARY  FAULTS.  121 

A  business  letter  should  indulge  in  no  departure  from  the  line 
of  true  dignity.  Slang  phrases  are  utterly  inconsistent  with  true 
dignity  of  thought  or  word,  and,  when  used,  can  hardly  fail  to 
inspire  sentiments  of  disrespect,  not  to  say  disgust,  for  the  writer 
or  speaker  who  uses  them.  The  true  business  man  should  be, 
not  a  dandy,  not  a  fop,  not  a  boor,  nor  a  clown,  but  a  gen- 
tleman. The  language  of  his  letters,  no  less  than  his  conver- 
sation and  entire  demeanor,  wiU  demonstrate  to  which  class  he 
belongs. 

3.  FOREIGN  WORDS  AND  PHRASES.  —  Some  persons  who  have  ac- 
quired the  merest  smattering  of  Latin,  French,  Italian,  or  some 
other  foreign  language  are  prone  to  make  display  of  this  cheap 
literature  in  their  letters.  They  evidently  imagine  that  these  dis- 
plays create  the  impression  that  they  have  "much  learning." 
They  little  dream,  however,  of  the  truth  in  the  case,  —  that  such 
demonstrations  mark  their  authors  as  pedants  and  coxcombs.  No 
man  of  common  sense  ever  reads  a  letter  thus  interlarded  with 
foreign  words  and  phrases,  without  feelings  of  mingled  pity  and 
contempt  for  the  writer. 

These  remarks  apply  as  properly  to  other  kinds  of  letters,  as  a 
general  rule,  as  to  those  of  a  business  nature.  A  native-born 
American,  who  cannot  write  or  speak  his  own  language  so  as  to 
be  understood  by  those  who  are  acquainted  with  it,  may  rest 
assured  that  he  will  not  improve  the  matter  much  by  resort  to  a 
foreign  tongue,  of  which  he  and  his  reader  or  hearer  know  little 
or  nothing. 

If  you  are  writing  to  a  foreigner  who  does  not  understand 
English,  and  you  can  address  him  in  his  own  language,  of  course 
you  will  do  so.  This  gives  no  appearance  of  simpering  and 
offensive  pedantry.  But  if  you  write  to  one  who  may  be  pre- 
sumed to  understand  your  own  language  as  well  as  yourself,  by 
all  means  use  that  language,  and  that  only. 

A  quotation  in  this  connection  from  Blair's  Rhetoric  may  not 
be  out  of  place.     The  author  says  :  — 

"  The  introduction  of  foreign  and  learned  words,  unless  where 
necessity  requires  them,  should  always  be  avoided.  Barren  lan- 
6 


122  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  II. 

guages  may  need  sucli  assistances ;  but  ours  is  not  one  of  these. 
Dean  Swift,  one  of  our  most  correct  writers,  valued  himself  much 
on  using  no  words  but  such  as  were  of  native  growth ;  and  his 
language  may,  indeed,  be  considered  as  a  standard  of  the  strictest 
purity  and  propriety  in  the  choice  of  words." 

4.  TAUTOLOGY.  — 1.  ^  "^tmVL^,,  —  Tautology  of  meaning  is  de- 
fined by  Webster  to  be  "a  repetition  of  the  same  meaning  in 
different  words,  or  a  needless  repetition  of  a  thing  in  different 
words  or  phrases." 

This  is  a  common  fault  with  inexperienced  writers,  and  with 
those  who  have  unusual  flow  of  language.  They  seem  to  abhor 
eimplicity  and  singleness  of  statement.  When  they  have  made 
their  point  clearly  and  distinctly,  they  show  a  proneness  to  make 
it  over  and  over  again ;  until,  by  some  slight  and  unintentional 
variation  in  the  statement,  their  meaning  becomes  confused,  if 
not  contradictory. 

This  is  one  of  the  chief  dangers  arising  from  tautology  of  mean- 
ing in  business  letter- writing.  There  is  an  intention  of  tautology, 
which  is  itself  a  fault ;  but  it  sometimes  ends  in  inconsistency 
with  what  has  already  been  said.  While  the  writer  may  think 
he  is  stating  the  very  same  matter,  though  a  little  more  clearly, 
and  in  somewhat  different  language,  he  may  by  an  unskilful  or 
careless  use  of  a  preposition  or  conjunction,  or  of  some  term  of 
negation  or  afl&rmation,  mislead  the  reader  of  his  letter  as  to  what 
is  really  intended. 

When  you  have  stated  a  proposition,  and  feel  certain  that  you 
have  stated  it  clearly,  it  is  a  good  rule  to  make  no  attempt  at 
mending  or  improving  it  by  restatement. 

A  strict  observance  of  this  rule  will  not,  however,  prevent 
any  necessary  explanations  regarding  the  subject-matter  of  your 
letter. 

2.  Of  Words.  —  Tautology  of  words,  as  far  as  possible,  should  be 
avoided  in  business  letters.  It  consists  in  the  frequent  and  un- 
necessary repetition  of  the  principal  word  or  words  in  the  same 
sentence  or  paragraph.  This  objection  does  not  apply  to  the  fre- 
quent use  of  such  words  as  are  called  ^particles,  —  the  smaller  and 


Cliap.  IL]  LITERARY  FAULTS.  123 

less  important  ones  necessarily  used  with  frequency  in  almost 
every  English  sentence ;  such  as,  hy,  with,  in,  to,  of,  hut,  the,  etc. 

Tautology  of  words  may  be  avoided  by  the  use  of  synonymes, 
or  words  which  are  nearly  or  quite  equivalents  of  those  already 
used,  the  repetition  of  which  it  is  desirable  to  avoid.  Webster  s 
and  Worcester's  Unabridged  Dictionary  furnish  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  synonymes. 

The  following  are  examples  of  tautology  of  words :  — 

"  If  you  will  allow  me  a  short  time  to  think,  I  think  that  I  can 
think  of  an  example  which  you  will  think  is  quite  similar  to  this." 

By  substituting  synonymes,  the  tautology  of  this  sentence  dis- 
appears. "  If  you  will  allow  me  a  short  time  to  consider,  I  be- 
lieve that  I  can  think  of  an  example  that  you  will  regard  as  quite 
similar  to  this." 

"  We  went  in  an  omnibus  to  the  depot,  and  then  went  to  De- 
troit in  the  cars  that  went  that  day  to  Chicago." 

The  repetition  of  went  is  avoided  by  the  substitution  of  syno- 
nymes. "  We  rode  in  an  omnibus  to  the  depot,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Detroit  in  the  cars  that  went  that  day  to  Chicago." 

Another  example,  —  "I  believe  that  you  believe  that  he  believes 
the  Fathers  believed  that  the  Apostles  believed  in  this  doctrine. 

Synonymes,  —  "I  am  convinced  that  you  think  that  he  believes 
that  the  Fathers  were  persuaded  that  the  Apostles  held  this  doc- 
trine." 

In  modifying  sentences  so  as  to  avoid  tautology,  it  is  not 
necessary  that  the  substituted  words  shall  be  exact  equivalents  or 
synonymes.  Indeed,  it  is  held  by  critical  scholars  that  there  are 
no  two  words  in  our  language  which  convey  precisely  the  same 
idea.  But  no  one  denies  that  there  are  thousands  that  so  approx- 
imate each  other  in  identity  of  signification  as  to  allow  their  use 
interchangeably,  or  the  substitution  of  one  for  the  other. 

In  law  papers  and  documents,  always  wordy  instruments,  there 
is  often,  and  even  generally,  tautology  both  of  meaning  and  words. 
But  these  would  hardly  be  accepted  as  models  of  rhetoric  and 
elegant  composition. 

In  works  of  a  didactic  nature,  or  such  as  are  written  for  the 
purpose  of  teaching,  tautology  is  quite  unavoidable. 


124  THINGS   TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  II. 

5.  PARENTHESES.  —  The  parenthesis  has  been  briefly  noticed  in 
another  place,  page  104.  The  marks  which  inclose  it  are  two 
curved  lines,  each  curving  inward,  the  one  placed  at  the  begin- 
ning and  the  other  at  the  end  of  the  member,  clause,  or  sentence 
inclosed  by  them ;  thus,  ( ).  The  words  included  within  these 
lines  constitute  the  parenthesis. 

The  frequent  use  of  the  marks  of  parenthesis  is  not  favored 
at  the  present  day  in  composition  of  any  kind,  and  especially  in 
letter- writing.  If  a  sentence  is  properly  constructed,  the  comma, 
semicolon,  or  other  marks  of  punctuation,  will  generally  answer 
every  purpose.  The  parenthetic  clauses  or  sentences  inclosed  by 
them  are  usually  explanatory,  and  may  often  be  omitted  entirely ; 
or,  more  properly,  they  may  become  the  subjects  of  a  sentence 
or  sentences  by  themselves.  Take  the  following  example  from 
KerVs  Grammar:  — 

"  The  good  man  {arid  good  men  not  only  think  good  thoughts^  hut 
do  good  deeds)  lives  more  in  a  year  than  a  selfish,  covetous  man  in 
a  century." 

By  making  two  sentences  or  periods  of  this,  the  parenthesis  is 
avoided,  and  the  statement  becomes,  not  only  clearer,  but  more 
forcible.  "  The  good  man  lives  more  in  a  year  than  the  selfish, 
covetous  man  in  a  century.  He  not  only  thinks  good  thoughts, 
but  he  does  good  deeds." 

Or  transpose  the  sentence  thus  :  "  The  good  man  not  only 
thinks  good  thoughts,  but  he  does  good  deeds  ;  and  he  lives  more 
in  a  year  than  the  selfish,  covetous  man  in  a  century." 

On  the  use  of  parentheses.  Dr.  Blair,  the  distinguished  rheto- 
rician, says :  "  For  the  most  part,  their  effect  is  extremely  bad ; 
being  a  sort  of  wheels  within  wheels,  sentences  in  the  midst  of 
sentences,  the  perplexed  method  of  disposing  of  some  thought 
which  a  writer  wants  art  to  introduce  in  its  proper  place.  It 
were  needless  to  give  many  instances,  as  they  occur  so  often 
among  incorrect  writers. 

"  I  shall  produce  one  from  Lord  Bolingbroke,  the  rapidity  of 
whose  genius  and  manner  of  writing  betrays  him  frequently  into 
inaccuracies  of  this  sort.  It  is  in  the  introduction  to  his  idea 
of  a  patriot  king,  where  he  writes  thus  :  — 


Chap.  IL]  QUESTIONS  ON  ^^®^^^^  T^QT)^^  V^   125 

" '  It  seems  to  me,  that,  in  order  to  maintain  the  system  of  the 
world  at  a  certain  point,  far  below  that  of  ideal  perfection  (for 
we  are  made  capable  of  conceiving  what  we  are  incapable  of 
attaining),  but,  however,  sufficient,  upon  the  whole,  to  constitute  a 
state  easy  and  happy,  or,  at  the  worst,  tolerable ;  I  say  it  seems 
to  me  that  the  Author  of  Nature  has  thought  fit  to  mingle,  from 
time  to  time,  among  the  societies  of  men,  a  few,  and  but  a  few,  of 
those  on  whom  he  is  graciously  pleased  to  bestow  a  larger  por- 
tion of  the  ethereal  spirit  than  is  given,  in  the  ordinary  course 
of  his  government,  to  the  sons  of  men/ 

"  A  very  bad  sentence  this :  into  which,  by  the  help  of  the 
parenthesis,  and  other  interjected  circumstances,  his  lordship  had 
contrived  to  thrust  so  many  things,  that  he  is  forced  to  begin  the 
construction  again  with  the  phrase,  /  say ;  which,  whenever  it 
occurs,  may  be  always  assumed  as  a  sure  mark  of  a  clumsy,  ill- 
constructed  sentence,  —  execrable  in  speaking,  where  the  greatest 
accuracy  is  not  expected,  but  in  polished  writing,  unpardonable." 

The  sentence  of  Lord  Bolingbroke  is  clumsy  indeed,  as  Dr. 
Blair  says  ;  but  the  criticism  on  it,  if  one  may  presume  to  criti- 
cise such  eminent  authority,  is  but  little  better.  If  Dr.  Blair 
had  made  four  or  five  sentences  of  his  own  very  long  one,  he 
could  hardly  have  failed  to  express  himself  more  forcibly. 

QUESTIONS    ON    CHAPTER   IL 

Bombast. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  chapter? 

2.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

3.  What  is  bombast  opposed  to? 

4.  What  is  out  of  place  in  a  business  letter  ? 

5.  What  language  is  preferable  ? 

6.  What  is  not  meant  by  this? 

7.  In  what  words  may  almost  any  subject  be  presented  ? 

8.  What  is  the  style  of  the  most  sublime  authors  ? 

9.  What  is  said  of  writers  who  affect  pomp  ? 

10.  What  does  Dr.  Blair  say  of  bombast? 

11.  Who  are  prone  to  these  attempts? 

12.  What  language  should  characterize  the  business  letter? 

13.  How  does  bombast  appear  in  such  letters? 


12d  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Paji;  IL 

Slang  Words  and  Phrases. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section  ? 

2.  What  is  said  about  th^ir  use  ? 

■  8.  What  will  your  letter  be  accepted  as  ? 

4.  How  are  you  to  escape  the  charge  of  coarseness  and  vulgarity  ? 

5.  Where  does  such  language  originate  ? 

6.  What  is  said  of  chaste  and  pure  language  ? 

7.  Where  is  slang  phraseology  least  excusable  ? 

8.  Why  is  it  less  excusable  there  ? 

9.  What  should  not  a  business  letter  indulge  in  ? 

10.  What  are  slang  phrases  inconsistent  with? 

11.  What  sentiments  do  they  inspire? 

12.  What  should  not  the  true  business  man  be? 

13.  What  should  he  be? 

14.  What  will  demonstrate  to  which  class  he  belongs  ? 

Foreign  Words  and  Phrases. 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  persons  attempt  a  display  of  them  ? 

3.  What  impression  do  they  imagine  that  these  displays  create  ? 

4.  What  do  such  displays  mark  them  as  ? 

5.  How  does  the  man  of  common  sense  feel  on  reading  such  letters  ? 

6.  What  kinds  of  letters  do  these  remarks  apply  to  ?  ' 

7.  What  further  is  said  of  the  use  of  foreign  phrases  ? 

8.  When  does  the  use  of  a  foreign  language  give  no  appearance  of  ped- 
antry ? 

9.  When  should  you  use  your  own  language  only  ? 

10.  What  does  Blair  say  about  using  foreign  words? 

11.  What  kind  of  a  writer  was  Dean  Swift? 

12.  What  did  he  pride  himself  on  ? 

13.  How  is  his  language  considered? 

Tautology* 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  is  tautology  of  meaning  ? 

3.  With  whom  is  this  a  common  fault  ? 

4.  What  do  they  seem  to  abhor  ? 

5.  What  are  they  prone  to,  when  they  have  stated  their  point  clearly? 

6.  What  is  the  danger  of  tautology  of  meaning  ? 

7.  How  does  it  sometimes  end  ? 

8.  How  does  the  writer  sometimes  mislead  his  reader  ? 

9.  What  is  a  good  rule  about  stating  a  proposition  ? 
10.  What  will  not  this  prevent  ? 


Chap.  IL]  QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  IL  127 

11.  What  is  said  of  tautology  of  words? 

12.  What  does  it  signify  ? 

13.  To  what  does  this  objection  not  apply? 

14.  How  may  tautology  of  words  be  avoided? 

15.  Where  can  you  find  synonymes? 

16.  Give  some  examples  of  tautology  of  words? 

1 7.  What  is  said  about  substituted  words  ? 

18.  What  do  critical  scholars  hold? 

19.  What  do  all  admit  about  identity  of  signification? 

20.  What  is  said  about  tautology  of  law  papers  ? 

21.  What,  about  didactic  works? 

Parentheses, 

1.  What  is  the  subject  of  this  section? 

2.  What  marks  inclose  the  parenthesis  ? 

3.  What  words  constitute  the  parenthesis  ? 

4.  What  is  said  of  the  frequent  use  of  these  marks  ? 

5.  What  marks  may  take  the  place  of  them  ? 

6.  Wliat  is  the  nature  of  the  parenthesis  ? 

7.  How  may  it  be  avoided  ? 

8.  What  does  Dr.  Blair  say  of  its  use  ? 


128  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  IL 


GENEEAL    EXEECISES. 

DIKECTIONS   TO   THE  TEACHER. 

DEAW  an  oblong  figure  on  the  blackboard,  making  it  about 
sixteen  inches  horizontal  by  twenty  inches  perpendicular. 
Eequire  the  pupils  to  draw  on  their  slates  a  figure  of  like  pro- 
portions ;  say,  eight  by  ten  inches. 

FALSE   EXAMPLE.  — No.  1. 


TieiiA  yci^  Jec  S^  /§^S 


c/ea-i,  aci> 


Chap.  IL]  GENERAL  EXERCISES.  129 

I.  POSITION. 

This  figure  represents  the  proper  proportions  of  a  sheet  of 
letter-paper.  On  the  blackboard  place  the  heading^  names  and 
additions,  address,  and  conclusion,  within  the  figure,  but  not  in 
their  proper  respective  positions. 

Now  request  the  pupils  to  copy  from  the  board  what  you  have 
written,  and  to  place  on  their  slates  each  part  where  it  belongs, 
according  to  the  instructions  herein  already  given. 

Eequire  them  to  do  their  work,  if  necessary,  over  and  over 
again,  until  every  part  is  done  perfectly,  according  to  the  diagram. 

In  this  first  exercise  pay  no  attention  whatever  to  the  correct 
use  of  capital  letters  or  marks  of  punctuation.  Keep  these  mat- 
ters, as  much  as  possible,  out  of  sight.  One  subject  at  a  time  is 
best  for  teaching. 

Each  slate  should  be  carefully  inspected  by  the  teacher,  and  no 
error  of  position  should  be  allowed  to  pass  without  correction. 

Now  erase  what  you  have  written  on  the  blackboard,  and  have 
the  pupils  erase  what  is  written  on  their  slates. 

II.    CAPITAL  LETTERS. 
HEADING. 

Without  using  any  capital  letters,  or  punctuation  marks,  write 
within  the  diagram  on  the  board,  richville  st  lawrence  county  n  y 
act  1  1872.  Place  this  heading  in  its  proper  position,  as  the  les- 
son on  that  subject  has  been  given. 

In  writing  this  heading,  the  teacher  should  require  every  pupil 
to  make  the  capital  letters  where  they  belong.  He  wiU  give  the 
items  for  a  variety  of  headings.  When  a  heading  consists  of  too 
many  items  to  be  conveniently  placed  on  a  single  line,  throw  it 
into  two  or  more  as  may  be  necessary. 

The  following  questions,  as  far  as  applicable,  may  then  be 
asked. 

1.  What  are  the  items  of  this  heaCding? 

2.  Why  do  you  include  the  county  ? 

3.  Where  is  your  first  capital  letter? 

6*  I 


130  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  IL 

4.  Why  do  you  use  a  capital  there? 

5.  Where  is  your  second  capital  ? 

6.  Why  do  you  use  a  capital  there  ? 

7.  Where  is  the  third  ? 

8.  Where  is  the  fourth? 

9.  Why  do  you  use  a  capital  there  ? 
10.  How  many  capitals  in  all? 

NAMES  AND  ADDITIONS. 

Now  the  teacher  is  ready  to  write  on  the  board,  without  capi- 
tals or  punctuation,  but  in  proper  position,  a  variety  of  examples 
of  names  and  additions,  similar  to  those  here  given.  After  which, 
call  on  the  pupils  to  properly  distribute  the  capitals. 


^yu>i'  3f  CO  -neta^  -i 


Ex.  1.  . 


io^9t  i^9nc^^ 


EX.2L 


eOO' 


//^  dioac/ti^ay  Tieta  yo^ 


Ex.3. 


Questions. 


11.  Where  is  the  first  capital  in  the  first  example? 

1 2.  Why  do  you  use  a  capital  there  ? 

13.  Where  is  the  second,  and  why? 

14.  Where  is  the  third,  and  why  ? 

15.  Where  the  fourth,  and  why  ? 

16.  Where  the  fifth,  and  why? 

17.  Where  the  sixth,  and  why? 

18.  Where  the  seventh,  and  why  ? 

19.  What  are  the  words  of  addition* 
Ans.   Messrs.,  Co.,  and  New  York. 

Question  the  pupils  after  the  same  manner  on  all  the  ex- 
amples. 


Cliap.  II.]  GENERAL  EXERCISES.  131 

ADDRESS. 

This  is  what  follows  the  names  and  additions,  when  they  are 
placed  before  instead  of  after  the  body  of  the  letter.  It  is  usually 
called  the  complimentary  address,  though  it  is  the  only  part  of  a 
letter  properly  called  the  address,  as  the  names  and  additions  are 
not  an  address  at  all  They  simply  show  to  whom  the  address 
applies. 

Some  word  or  words  of  address  should  always  be  used.  It  is 
abrupt  to  begin  a  letter  without.  In  business  letters,  the  address 
is  usually  Sir,  Dear  Sir,  Gentlemen,  Madam,  Dear  Madam,  accord- 
ing to  circumstances. 

In  letters  of  friendship  or  affection,  words  expressive  of  the  re- 
lationship of  the  parties  are  usually  employed ;  as,  Dear  friend, 
Dear  father,  Dear  mother,  Dear  brother,  Dear  sister,  Dear  cousin,  &c. 

Question, 

20.  Why  do  you  begin  the  address  with  a  capital? 
Ans.  It  begins  a  paragraph. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  teacher  will  find  it  of  advantage  to  the  pupils  to  give  a 
number  of  false  examples  on  the  board,  for  their  correction. 
Write  these  examples  in  their  proper  position,  disregarding  capi- 
tals and  punctuation. 

Take  the  following,  for  instance :  — 

After  the  pupils  have  corrected  these  and  other  examples,  the 
following  questions,  as  far  as  applicable,  may  be  asked. 

Questions* 

21.  Where  is  your  first  capital  letter? 

22.  Why  do  you  place  a  capital  there  ? 

23.  Why  not  begin  the  next  word  with  a  capital? 

24.  Why  begin  Welch  with  a  capital? 

25.  Why,  the  next  word? 

26.  Why  begin  the  abbreviation  Co.  with  a  capital  ? 


132  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  H. 

III.  PUNCTUATION. 

In  this  exercise  the  teacher  should  give  a  variety  of  headings, 
names  and  additions,  addresses,  and  conclusions.  Let  them  be 
strictly  correct  in  everything  except  items  and  jpunctuation.  Then 
require  the  pupils  to  punctuate  each  part  properly. 

Thorough  drill  should  be  given  in  the  items  of  the  headings. 
In  all  kinds  of  letter- writing,  mistakes  are  common  here.  It  is 
suggested  that  the  teacher  omit  the  county  and  state  in  some 
instances  in  the  heading,  giving  only  the  name  of  the  town  or 
village  where  the  letter  is  written,  and  then  require  the  class 
to  make  the  proper  corrections. 

Let  them  criticise  the  following  examples,  and  others  that  may 
be  furnished  by  the  teacher :  — 


No.  1.      . 

No.  2. 
^yn^nm/d  ^ood  ^o  0a  /§7^ 

Chap.  IL]  GENERAL  EXERCISES.  I33 


No.  3. 


HTZceie^  ^Gui^  ^lcen€^ 


Q^9no<>  QJa^de-?^ 


No.  4. 


No.  6. 

g4^ 


134  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Paxt  IL 

After  each  pupil  has  made  the  necessary  corrections  in  every 
part  of  the  foregoing  examples,  the  teacher  will  ask  the  following 
or  other 

Questions, 

27.  Where  is  your  first  comma  in  No.  1  ? 

28.  Where  your  first  period? 

29.  Why,  a  period  there  ? 

30.  Wliere  is  your  second  comma? 

31.  Where  is  your  second  period  ? 

32.  Why  place  a  period  there? 

33.  "Where  is  your  next  period  ? 

34.  Why  a  period  following  Messrs.  ? 

35.  Where  is  your  next  comma  ? 

36.  What  is  omitted  in  the  additions  ? 

3  7.  When  you  have  supplied  the  additions,  how  do  you  punctuate  them  ? 

38.  Why  put  a  period  at  the  close  of  them  ? 

39.  How  do  you  punctuate  the  address  ? 

40.  How,  the  conclusion  ? 

41.  Why  do  you  put  a  period  after  the  signature? 

Examples  2-5. 

42.  What  item  is  omitted  in  the  heading  of  No.  2  ? 

43.  Why  should  you  write  State  and  county  there? 

44.  How  many  periods  in  the  heading  of  No.  2  ? 

45.  Where  are  they  ? 

46.  How  many  commas  in  this  heading  ? 

47.  Where  are  they? 

48.  What  faults  in  the  names  and  additions  of  No.  2  ? 

49.  What  faults  in  the  same  part  of  No.  3  ? 

50.  What  in  No.  4  ? 

61.  In  No.  5? 

62.  What  faults  in  punctuation  are  in  the  conclusion  of  Nos.  2,  3, 4,  and  6  ? 


Chap.  II.]  GENERAL  EXERCISES,  I35 

FALSE    EXAMPLE.  —  No.  2. 


Id  o^ 'tde  am^  C7VX^.  id  iececi^ec/,  ^c 


q7uc^  U71CO  iyc7tcele^. 


uia. 


(MncM,  ^oned,  ^  ^ioum,. 


There  are  eight  mistakes  with  regard  to  position  in  this  diagram 
of  a  letter.  Point  them  out,  and  correct  them,  beginning  with  the 
first. 

Questions. 

53.  What  is  the  first  fault? 

64.  What  is  the  second  ? 


136  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  H. 

65.  Wliat  is  the  third? 

56.  What  is  the  fourth? 

57.  What  is  the  fifth? 

58.  The  sixth? 

59.  The  seventh? 

60.  The  eighth? 

61.  Where  is  your  left  margin? 

FALSE   EXAMPLE.  — No.  3. 

Superscription. 


Q^£      ^m^    ^aU.    Sa^ 

^£^cuic/e^^idca'      i^^^i<k^n. 

COU'?t^'U 

©^ 

^ 

Directions.  —  The  above  diagram  should  be  placed  on  the  black- 
board with  all  its  faults,  so  that  the  class  may  have  a  clear  view 
of  it. 

Then  require  each  pupil  to  write  it  out  properly  on  his  slate. 
After  which  ask  the  following  questions  in  regard  to  the  black- 
board work. 

Questions, 

62.  What  fault  do  you  find  about  the  title? 

63.  What,  about  the  abbreviation  for  Mister  f 

64.  What,  about  the  position  ? 

65.  What,  about  capital  letters  ? 
€6.  What,  about  punctuation  ? 


Chap.  II.]  GENERAL  EXERCISES.  I37 

FALSE    EXAMPLE.  — No.  4. 

Superscription, 


(STo 


(M.7riu^//,   ^  Man.    ^^, 


Directions.  —  Place  the  foregoing  diagram  on  the  blackboard, 
with  all  its  faults,  and  then  ask  the  following 

Questions. 

67.  What  unnecessary  words  do  you  find  in  this  superscription? 

68.  What  words  are  spelt  wrong? 

69.  How  do  you  like  the  position  of  Professor  f 

70.  What  are  the  faults  of  punctuation  ? 

71.  Why  not  write  the  county  in  this  case? 

72.  There  are  thirteen  faults  in  No.  4.     Can  you  point  them  all  out? 

Mark  on  the  blackboard  several  figures  of  an  envelope,  say- 
about  10  X  15  inches,  or  larger,  and  require  the  pupils  to  write 
within  them  such  superscriptions  as  you  shall  dictate  to  them. 
Let  one  pupil  write  one  and  another  write  another,  until  each 
has  written  all  the  examples.  Allow  them  to  criticise  each 
other's  work.  Kequire  them  to  put  in  proper  form  the  following 
and  other 

EXAMPLES. 

Direct  an  envelope  to  each  of  the  following  persons. 
George  Blain  resides  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  has  his  resi- 
dence at  one  hundred  and  ten  William  Street. 


138  THINGS  TO  BE  AVOIDED.  [Part  IL 

Samuel  Baker  lives  in  Jackson,  in  the  county  of  Jackson,  in 
tlie  State  of  Michigan,  and  is  a  clergyman. 

Eichard  Dana  lives  in  Cambridge,  in  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  is  a  member  of  the  Faculty  of  Harvard  College. 

Henry  Wilson  lives  in  Natick,  in  Massachusetts,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  United  States  Senate. 

Salmon  P.  Chase  resides  in  the  city  of  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
is  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States. 

John  H.  French  lives  in  the  city  of  Burlington,  in  the  State  of 
Vermont,  and  has  the  literary  title  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

William  T.  Sherman  resides  in  the  city  of  Washington,  and  is 
Lieutenant-General  in  the  United  States  Army. 

Hamilton  Fish  resides  in  the  city  of  Washington,  and  is  Sec- 
retary of  State,  of  the  United  States. 

John  T.  Hoffman  is  governor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
receives  his  private  and  official  correspondence  at  Albany. 

A  married  lady  by  the  name  of  Mary  Jones,  whose  husband's 
name  is  Walter  Jones,  resides  at  Weedsport,  in  the  county  of 
Cayuga,  in  the  State  of  New  York. 

Ivison,  Blakeman,  Taylor,  &  Co.  do  business  as  publishers  and 
booksellers,  at  138  and  140  Grand  Street,  in  the  city  of  New 
York. 


CLOSING  REMARKS. 


1.  All  business  letters  should  be  carefully  kept,  until,  at  least, 
the  matters  to  which  they  relate  are  completely  closed,  and  there 
can  be  no  further  use  for  them. 

2.  A  copy  of  all  letters  of  importance  should  be  kept  by  the 
writer,  especially  of  such  as  require  an  answer. 

3.  As  soon  as  a  letter  has  been  received  and  read,  it  should 
be  neatly  and  evenly  folded,  its  date,  name  of  the  author,  and  the 
main  subject  to  which  it  relates  noted  on  it,  and,  when  answered, 
the  date  of  the  answer  should  also  be  given.     Thus :  — 

Jones,  Smith,  &  Co. 
Eeceived,  Aug.  10,  72. 
Draft  for  %  1,762. 
Answered,  Aug.  11,  72. 


Chap.  II.]  GENERAL  EXERCISES.  I39 

4.  You  should  never  condescend  to  answer  an  anonymous  let- 
ter, even  if  you  are  nearly  certain  who  wrote  it.    Never  write  one. 

5.  Never  send  a  letter  on  your  own  business,  that  requires  an 
answer,  without  inclosing  a  stamp. 

6.  If  you  receive  an  impertinent  letter,  do  not  answer  it  at  alL 
Wait  for  an  apology.     If  you  get  none,  wait  through  all  time. 

7.  Never  fold  your  letter  until  you  have  carefully  reviewed  it 
for  the  correction  of  errors. 

8.  Answer  promptly  all  letters  that  require  an  answer,  unless 
you  foresee  that  a  delay  of  a  day  or  two  may  be  of  advantage, 
on  account  of  events  that  may  possibly  transpire  relating  to  the 
subject-matter  of  them. 


APPENDIX 


PART    I. 

ALL  formal  notes  are  written  in  the  third  person,  unless  the  parties 
are  very  intimate  friends;  in  which  case  the  first  and  second  per- 
son may  be  used,  as  in  ordinary  letters  of  friendship  or  business.  The 
phrase,  "  Send  their  compliments,"  or  "  Present  their  compliments,"  is 
now  rather  out  of  date.  The  note  itself  implies  the  compliments.  If 
an  invitation  is  declined,  however,  it  is  conciliatory  and  proper  to  add 
this  phrase. 

FORMS. 
L 

NOTE  OF  INVITATION. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  request  the  pleasure  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Churchill's  com- 
pany next  Thursday  evening,  at  8  o'clock,  to  join  a  social  party. 
16  Plymouth  Ave.,  March  10. 

Whether  accepted  or  not,  this  note  of  invitation  should  be  answered 
within  a  reasonable  time ;  say,  twenty-four  or  forty-eight  hours  before 
the  evening  named. 

n. 

REPLY,   ACCEPTING. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  ChurchiU  accept  with  pleasure  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis's  kind 
invitation  to  join  a  social  party  next  Thursday  evening. 
12  Arnold  Park,  March  11. 

m. 

REPLY,   DECLINING. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Churchill  present  their  compliments  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis, 
and  deeply  regret  their  inabiUty  to  accept  the  kind  invitation  to  join  the  social 


142  APPENDIX. 

party  next  Tliursday  evening.  It  would  have  afforded  them  great  pleasure  to 
be  present ;  but  a  previous  positive  engagement  for  the  time  named  will  pre- 
vent. 

12  Arnold  Park,  March  11. 

IV. 

REPLY,   CONDITIONALLY  ACCEPTING. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Churchill  will  be  most  happy  to  accept  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis's 
kind  invitation  to  a  social  party  next  Thursday  evening,  unless  prevented  by 
the  previous  arrival  of  friends  expected  from  a  distance. 

12  Arnold  Park,  March  11. 

V. 

INVITATION. 

Miss  Adams  requests  the  pleasure  of  Miss  Freeman's  company  at  a  social 
gathering,  on  Tuesday  evening  next,  at  8  o'clock. 
76  East  Main  Street,  Nov.  6. 

VI. 

NOTE,  ACCEPTING. 

With  much  pleasure  Miss  Freeman  accepts  Miss  Adams's  kind  invitation  to 
be  present  at  a  social  gathering  next  Tuesday  evening. 
176  State  Street,  Nov.  6. 

vn. 

NOTE,  DECLINING. 

Miss  Freeman  presents  her  compliments  to  Miss  Adams,  with  regrets  that 
it  will  be  impossible,  on  account  of  domestic  affliction,  to  accept  her  kind  invi- 
tation to  a  social  gathering  Tuesday  evening  next. 

176  State  Street,  Nov.  6. 

The  following  neat  little  notes  are  copied  from  Kerl's  Composition 
and  Rhetoric :  — 

vm. 

The  Librarian  of  the  Mercantile  Library  will  please  to  send  Mr.  S. 
Logan,  by  the  bearer,  Macaulay's  History  of  England. 

S.  Logan. 
10  Myrtle  Ave.,  Dec.  6. 

A  note  is  frequently  better  than  a  verbal  message. 


APPENDIX.  143 

IX. 

Miss  Smith  is  very  much  obliged  to  Mr.  Thompson  for  his  magnificent 
Christmas  present.  Miss  Smith  should  have  thanked  Mr.  Thompson  sooner, 
but  she  has  been  absent  from  home. 

X. 

My  dear  Sir,  — 

Will  you  do  me  the  favor  to  dine  with  me  to-morrow,  at  three  o*clock,  in 

company  with  Colonel  M and  a  few  friends  ? 

Yours,  very  truly, 

112  South  M  Street.  A.  B. 

XL 

My  dear  Sir,  — 

It  will  give  me  pleasure  to  dine  with  you  to-morrow,  at  three  o'clock,  as  you 
kindly  propose. 

Yours,  faithfully, 

CD. 

xn. 

Mr.  Rector  regrets  that  he  was  absent  when  Mr.  Sanborn  called,  and  hopes 
that  Mr.  Sanborn  will  mention  some  time  when  it  will  be  convenient  for  him 
to  meet  Mr.  Rector. 

Salona,  June  6th. 

xm. 

Dismal  Swamp,  N.  C, 

Sept.  20,  1868. 
Samson  Brothers, 

Pearl  Street,  N.  Y. 
Gentlemen,  —  Inclosed  I  send  you  seventy-five  cents,  for  which  you  will 
please  to  send  me,  by  mail,  Dr.  Kitchiner's  "  Directions  for  Prolonging  Life." 

Yours,  respectfully, 

James  Bilions. 

LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION. 

A  few  words  here  may  not  be  out  of  place  in  regard  to  letters  of 
introduction.  They  are  common,  very  common,  —  indeed,  they  are 
becoming  qiiite  too  common.  It'  may  be  feared  that  they  are  some- 
times given  without  due  reflection  and  discrimination,  if  not  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  rid  of  disagreeable  importunity  and  of  shirking  an 
intolerable  nuisance. 

There  are  certain  well-known  rules,  founded  in  good  sense,  that 
ought  always  to  guide,  not  only  in  regard  to  letters  of  introduction,  but 
also  in  reference  to  giving  verbal  introductions. 


144  APPENDIX. 

1.  You  should  never  give  such  a  letter  to  be  used  by  one  in  whom 
you  have  not  entire  confidence. 

2.  Having  this  confidence  in  your  friend,  to  whom  you  desire  to  ex- 
tend a  favor,  do  not  impose  upon  him  by  giving  a  letter  directed  to 
one  who  is  unworthy  of  his  confidence.  He  may  become  a  sufferer  in 
consequence  of  it. 

3.  Never  accept  such  a  letter,  and  be  the  bearer  of  it,  from  a  person 
in  whom  you  have  not  full  confidence.  Your  own  character  may  be 
suspected  on  account  of  it. 

4.  Be  sure  that  your  own  relations  to  the  party  to  whom  your  friend 
seeks  an  introduction  are  such  as  to  warrant  you  in  giving  the  letter. 
Otherwise  that  friend  may  find  himself  in  an  awkward  predicament. 

5.  If  the  letter  is  of  a  business  nature,  through  which  pecuniary 
credit  is  sought,  be  very  careful  what  you  write.  Bear  in  mind  that 
you  may  be  held  responsible  before  a  court  and  jury  for  the  contents 
of  your  letter. 

6.  Remember  you  have  no  right  to  thrust  one  of  your  acquaintances 
upon  the  attention  of  another,  unless  you  ai-e  confident  that  it  will 
prove  mutually  agreeable  or  advantageous. 

VERBAL  INTRODUCTIONS. 

The  matter  of  indiscriminate  verbal  introductions,  when  three  or 
more  men  meet  by  chance,  two  or  more  of  whom  are  strangers  to  each 
other,  is  almost  exclusively  an  American  custom,  and  it  is  execrable 
in  the  extreme.  But,  fortunately,  it  is  confined,  for  the  most  part, 
to  the  lower  classes. 

Introductions  of  this  character,  without  so  much  as  "by  your  leave, 
sir,"  are  perpetrated  in  thousands  of  instances  every  day  of  the  week, — 
in  bar-rooms,  saloons,  on  the  side-walk,  in  the  stage-coach,  in  the  street- 
cars and  omnibuses,  and,  in  fact,  anywhere  and  everywhere  that  three 
or  more  persons  may  happen  to  be  thrown  together.  One  party,  who 
is  wanting  in  common  sense,  saying  nothing  of  an  average  degree  of 
civility  and  politeness,  if  he  happens  to  be  even  on  speaking  terms 
with  the  others,  is  sure  to  force  a  formal  introduction. 

While  a  gentleman  of  refinement  may,  from  necessity,  submit  to  this 
outlandish  rudeness,  he  cannot  but  wish  that  this  officious  middleman 
knew  just  how  to  mind  his  own  business. 

These  unwelcome  introductions  are  quite  bad  enough  between  one 
man  and  another ;  but  when  a  lady  is  one  of  the  victims  of  such  med- 


APPENDIX.  145 

dlesome  officiousness,  the  introduction  becomes  an  act  of  unpardonable 
effrontery  and  impudence. 

A  lady  is  stopping  at  a  hotel  or  large  boarding-house,  and  happens, 
unfortunately,  to  sit  at  the  table  near  an  ignorant,  thoughtless,  brain- 
less jackanapes,  whom  she  may  honor  with  the  request  to  pass  the  castor. 
From  that  moment  he  fancies  himself  acquainted  with  the  lady,  in- 
trudes himself  upon  her  attention  in  the  sitting-room  or  parlor,  and 
presumes  from  this  salt-and-pepper  acquaintance  to  introduce  her  to 
gentlemen  strangers. 

No  man  or  woman,  with  very  few  exceptions,  has  a  right  to  intro- 
duce a  lady  to  a  gentleman  without  consulting  her  in  advance.  Not 
to  consult  her  before  taking  such  a  step  is  to  ^?isult  her.  To  the  lady 
it  is  a  social  nuisance.  It  is  never  done  in  good  society,  or,  rather,  by 
a  person  who  has  any  claims  to  respectability.  The  lady's  only  de- 
fense is  not  to  recognize  the  introduction,  not  even  by  a  nod  of  the 
head.  This  is  her  right,  and  she  should  exercise  it  on  the  spot.  It 
will  place  the  introducer  in  his  or  her  true  position.  It  is  not  a  just 
cause  of  offense  to  the  other  party  to  the  introduction.  It  is  simply  a 
salutary  rebuke  to  the  officious  boor  who  has  the  presumption  to  thus 
violate  the  rules  of  good  breeding.  It  is  her  shortest  path  out  of  the 
difficulty  in  which  she  has  been  placed  without  her  consent. 

Near  relatives,  as  a  husband,  mother,  father,  brother,  or  sister,  who 
may  be  presumed  to  know  the  lady's  inclination,  are  the  only  classes 
of  persons  who  may  properly  assume  to  give  her  an  introduction  to  a 
gentleman  without  first  obtaining  her  assent.  They  may  presume  her 
willingness,  when  they  are  well  acquainted  with  the  other  party  to 
this  social  ceremony. 

But  this  is  rather  a  digression  from  our  main  subject.  The  follow- 
ing forms  of  letters  of  introduction,  to  be  modified,  of  course,  to  suit 
particular  cases,  are  given  as  guides  for  the  student. 

XIV. 

LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION. 

Business  University, 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  12,  1872. 
H.  B.  Bryant,  Esq., 

Chicago,  Illinois. 
Dear  Sir,  —  This  will  introduce  to  you  the  bearer,  Mr.  John  D.  Living- 
ston, a  graduate  of  this  institution,  who  visits  your  city  for  the  purpose  of  en- 
gaging in  the  book  and  stationery  business. 

7  a 


146  APPENDIX. 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  assure  you  that  he  is  a  young  man  of  strict 
integrity,  superior  ability,  and  is  every  way  worthy  of  your  entire  confidence. 
Any  assistance  you  may  find  it  in  your  power  to  render  him  in  a  city  of 
strangers  I  will  regard  as  a  personal  favor  to  myself,  which  I  will  be  most 
happy  to  reciprocate  whenever  opportunity  shall  ofEer. 

Very  truly  yours, 

L.  L.  Williams. 

XV. 

(Copied  from  Karl's  Composition  and  Rhetoric.) 

Newbtjrgh,  N.  Y.,  March  1,  1869. 
Macdonald,  Palmer,  &  Co., 

744  Broadway,  N.  Y. 

Gentlemen,  —  The  bearer,  Mr.  A.  B.,  is  a  young  man  who  has  been 

brought  up  in  our  city,  and  is  well  known  to  me.     He  is  of  very  respectable 

parentage,  a  graduate  of  our  High  School,  and  of  good  standing  both  as  a 

Christian  and  a  scholar. 

He  is  seeking  a  better  field  for  his  future  life,  and  desires  to  engage  in 

the  mercantile  business.     He  will  make  known  to  you  his  wishes ;  and  any 

favor  you  may  show  him  will  oblige 

Your  friend, 

CD. 

The  superscription  on  these  letters,  or,  rather,  on  the  envelopes  in- 
closing them,  should  be  thus  :  — 


<^  Mi^um^. 

S^., 

^icacnedd 

tTabioou/Owvo/ 

(Un,@. 

^Muna&ton/. 

APPENDIX,  147 


■ 

Q^acc^na^,  MAiei,   Sf  ^o.. 

744  ^ioaJu^y, 

2Ba,Uictfc. 

Q4ita 

<^^. 

If  Mr.  Livingston  is  spending  some  time'  in  Chicago,  as  the  letter 
implies  he  is,  he  should  send  to  Mr.  Bryant  the  letter,  inclosing  his 
card,  in  a  separate  envelope,  showing  where  he  stops.  Mr.  Bryant 
will  probably  call  on  him  as  soon  as  convenient,  or  will  address  a 
note  to  him,  requesting  a  personal  interview,  naming  time  and 
place. 

This  letter  should  be  open  when  delivered  by  Mr.  Williams  to  Mr. 
Livingston,  so  that  he  may  know  what  is  written ;  but  it  should  be 
sealed  before  being  delivered. 

It  should  be  sent  to  Mr.  Bryant,  when  convenient  to  do  so,  instead 
of  being  personally  delivered,  for  two  reasons  :  — 

1.  It  would  be  quite  awkward  to  be  present,  waiting  while  Mr. 
Bryant  reads  what  is  said  of  the  bearer. 

2.  This  method  leaves  Mr.  Bryant  entirely  at  liberty  to  choose  his 
own  time  and  place  for  an  interview,  or  to  decline  the  introduction 
altogether,  if  he  prefers  this  course. 

But,  were  Mr.  Livingston  making  merely  a  flying  trip  through  Chi- 
cago, spending  only  a  few  hours  in  the  city,  there  could  be  no  impro- 
priety in  his  delivering  the  letter  personally  to  Mr.  Bryant,  should  he 
find  him  disengaged.  Never  thrust  such  a  letter,  however,  upon  the 
attention  of  the  party  to  whom  it  is  addressed  at  a  moment  when  he  is 
busily  engaged  with  others.     It  would  be  uncivil. 


148  APPENDIX. 

XVI. 

,     Portland,  Maine,  Sept.  12,  1872. 
Joseph  Ctttler,  Esq., 

Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Allow  me  to  introduce  to  your  kind  favor  and  regard  Mr. 
James  Merwin,  the  bearer,  junior  partner  of  the  highly  respectable  house  of 
Jones,  Merwin,  &  Son  of  this  city. 

My  esteemed  friend  visits  your  city  for  a  few  days  only,  on  his  way  to  New 
York.  While  he  may  remain  in  Boston,  I  trust  you  will  extend  to  him  aU 
necessary  attention  to  make  his  sojourn  there  as  agreeable  as  possible.  He 
is  a  young  man  of  no  ordinary  promise  and  ability,  as  you  will  soon  learn  by- 
personal  association  with  him. 

Command  my  services  in  any  similar  cases,  with  the  assurance  that  I  shall 
always  be  most  happy  to  honor  your  letters  of  introduction. 

Faithfully,  your  friend, 

Edmund  Farwell. 

LETTERS  OF  CREDIT. 

'  To  a  letter  of  credit,  as  to  one  of  introduction,  and  as  to  a  bill  of 
exchange,  which  it  in  some  respects  resembles,  there  are  three  parties : 
the  writer,  the  bearer,  and  the  receiver,  or  person  to  whom  it  is  ad- 
dressed :  — 

1.  The  writer  is  the  author  of  the  letter,  who  is  presumed  to  be 
well  acquainted  with  the  other  two  parties,  though  the  latter  may  be 
•wholly  unacquainted  with  each  other.  He  presumes  also  that  his 
guarantee  will  be  accepted  by  the  receiver,  at  least  to  the  extent  of  the 
sum  named  in  the  letter,  for  which  he  proposes  to  become  responsible. 
The  writer  does  not  become  responsible  to  the  bearer  at  all,  if  the 
credit  is  refused. 

2.  The  hearer  is  a  stranger  to  the  receiver  of  the  letter,  and  he  de- 
sires to  become  the  debtor  of  the  latter  to  an  indefinite  amount,  but 
not  exceeding  that  named  in  the  letter  of  credit.  His  position  in  the 
letter  is  somewhat  analogous  to  that  of  the  payee  in  a  bill  of  exchange; 
though  no  protest  or  notice  of  dishonor  is  necessary  in  case  the  credit 
named  is  refused. 

3.  The  position  of  the  receiver  of  the  letter  is  somewhat  similar  to 
"that  of  the  drawee  of  a  bill  of  exchange.  He  can  honor  the  letter  by 
giving  the  credit  named,  the  whole  or  in  part,  or  he  can  decline  it  alto- 
gether. He  is  not  presumed,  however,  as  the  drawee  is  in  a  bill  of 
exchange,  to  have  funds  in  his  hands  to  the  amount  named,  belonging 
to  the  writer  of  the  letter  or  drawer  of  a  bill. 


APPENDIX,  149 

The  following  is  a  common  form  of  a  letter  of  credit :  — 

xvn. 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  13,  1872. 
IvisoN,  Blakeman, 

Taylor,  &  Co.,  New  York. 
Gentlemen,  —  Please  allow  Jolin  Brown,  of  this  city,  a  credit  for  goods, 
wares,  and  merchandise,  as  he  may  select,  to  any  amount  not  exceeding  two 
thousand  dollars,  and  I  will  become  responsible  to  you  for  the  payment  of  the 
same,  in  case  Mr.  Brown  shall  fail  to  make  payment  therefor. 

You  will  please  to  notify  me  of  the  amount  for  which  you  may  give  him 
credit,  and  if  default  should  be  made  in  the  payment,  let  me  know  it  imme- 

^^^^y-  Nelson  L.  Button. 

xvm. 

Boston,  Mass.,  Sept.  13,  1872. 
Messrs.  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co., 

Broadway,  New  York. 
Gentlemen,  —  If  you  will  sell  Mr.  J.  B.  Loomis,  the  bearer,  of  this  city, 
a  bill  of  dry-goods  to  any  amount  not  exceeding  four  thousand  dollars,  on  four 
months'  credit,  I  will  become  responsible  to  you  for  the  punctual  payment  of 
the  same. 

Should  he  make  purchases  of  your  house  on  account  of  this  letter,  you  will 
please  advise  me  thereof,  and,  in  case  of  his  failure  to  pay  at  maturity,  give 
me  immediate  notice  of  the  deUnquency. 

I  am,  gentlemen. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

Nathaniel  P.  Banes. 

BUSINESS  LETTERS. 

The  following  business  letters  are  copied,  with  variations  to  suit  the 
purposes  of  this  work,  and  to  conform  to  American  usage,  from  The 
Business  Letter-Writer ,  published  in  London  by  Frederick  Wame  &  Co. 
As  modified,  they  are  believed  to  be  well  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the 
American  business  man. 

These  letters  are  not  given  for  you  to  copy  in  your  business  affairs. 
Indeed,  not  one  of  them  can,  by  any  possibility,  be  perfectly  adapted  to 
your  wants  in  a  single  instance.  You  must  write  from  your  own  brain. 
A  Complete  Letter-Writer ,  made  up  chiefly  of  forms,  is  a  little  bound 
book  of  failures.     It  is  not  worth  the  white  paper  on  which  it  is  printed. 

But,  taken  in  connection  with  the  lessons  that  are  given  in  Part  I. 
and  Part  11.  of  this  work,  a  few  such  letters  may  serve  as  general 


150  APPENDIX. 

guides  in  the  structure  and  literature  of  business  epistles.  You  have 
seen  that  every  letter,  whether  longer  or  shorter,  or  on  whatever  sub- 
ject it  may  be  written,  must  have  certain  parts.  Wanting  in  any  of 
these  parts,  it  is  incomplete. 

Then,  when  you  find  it  necessary  to  write  a  letter,  do  not  look  over 
these  forms  expecting  to  find  one  exactly  suited  to  your  wants.  You 
will  certainly  be  disappointed  if  you  do.  They  are  inserted  here  only 
for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  what  you  have  already  been  taught  from 
these  pages.  You  may  glean  from  them  this,  and  this  only:  the 
general  tone,  air,  dress,  modes  of  expression,  complimentary  terms, 
how  to  begin,  how  to  close,  &c.,  &c.,  according  to  the  instructions  given 
in  this  little  volume. 

The  first  letter  is  from  a  retail  merchant,  who  desires  to  open  an 
account  with  a  wholesale  dealer,  with  whom  he  has  no  personal 
acquaintance. 

XIX. 

110  Fayette  Street,  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  13,  1872. 
Mr.  J.  B.  Thompson, 

New  York. 
Sir,  —  F.  C.  Beaman,  Esq.,  who  is,  I  beheve,  well  known  to  you,  has  fre- 
quently spoken  to  me  of  your  house  of  business  in  terms  of  great  praise,  and 
has  strongly  recommended  to  me  to  make  a  trial  of  your  goods. 

On  this  recommendation  I  inclose  you  a  list  of  goods  which  I  at  present 
require,  and  will  thank  you  to  indicate  the  prices  against  the  various  articles 
enumerated.  If,  on  the  receipt  of  your  answer,  I  find  the  quotations  reason- 
able, I  shall  do  myself  the  pleasure  of  transmitting  you  an  order. 

Be  good  enough  to  let  me  know  at  the  same  time  what  are  your  terms  of 
payment,  together  with  any  other  particulars  of  which  you  may  consider  it 
desirable  for  me  to  be  informed. 

Awaiting  the  favor  of  your  reply,  I  am.  Sir, 

Yours  truly, 

A.  B.  Merchant. 
XX. 

ANSWER  TO  XIX. 

26  John  Street, 

New  York,  Sept.  14,  1872. 
Mr.  a.  B.  Merchant, 

110  Fayette  Street,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Sir,  —  In  reply  to  your  favor  of  the  1 3th  instant,  I  beg  leave  to  reinclose, 
with  prices  annexed,  the  list  you  did  me  the  honor  to  send  me. 


APPENDIX.  151 

These  prices  you  will,  I  am  persuaded,  find  most  reasonable,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  I  guarantee  the  excellence  of  the  quality  of  the  goods.  Should 
you  favor  me  with  your  orders,  I  flatter  myself  that  you  will  be  enabled  to 
confirm  by  experience  the  favorable  opinion  which  my  friend,  Mr.  Beaman, 
has  been  good  enough  to  express  of  my  merchandise. 

With  regard  to  payment,  my  terms  are  five  per  cent  discount  for  cash,  or  a 
bill  at  three  months  ;  and  you  are  at  liberty  to  choose  the  mode  of  settlement 
which  best  suits  you. 

Trusting  that  I  shall  be  favored  with  your  commands,  I  am.  Sir, 

Yours  respectfully, 

J.  B.  Thompson. 

XXI. 

EEPLY,  GIVING  AN  OEDER. 

110  Fayette  Street, 

Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  17,  1872. 
Mr.  J.  B.  Thompson, 

26  John  Street,  New  York. 
Dear  *  Sir,  —  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  15th  instant  I  beg  leave  to 
say  that  I  am  satisfied  with  the  list  of  prices  sent,  and  also  with  the  terms  of 
payment  mentioned  by  you. 

Please  forward  as  soon  as  possible  the  articles  detailed  in  the  inclosed  list ; 
and  if,  as  I  doubt  not,  the  goods  come  up  to  my  expectations,  I  hope  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  extending  my  relations  with  your  house. 

Our  mutual  friend,  Mr.  Beaman,  whom  I  have  already  mentioned,  will 
cheerfully  afford  you  every  information  you  may  desire  to  have  respecting 
me ;  and  should  you  require  additional  references,  I  can  forward  you  the 
names  of  two  or  three  New  York  houses,  where  my  account  has  been  open  for 
some  years. 

I  wjll  duly  notify  you  of  the  receipt  of  the  goods,  and  you  may  draw  upon 
me  for  the  amount,  at  three  months,  agreeably  to  your  terms. 

I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Yours,  truly, 

A.  B.  Merchant. 

xxn. 

16  John  Street,  New  York, 
Sept.  19,  1872. 
A.  B.  Merchant,  Esq.  . 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Sir,  —  I  beg  to  inclose  you  invoice  of  the  articles  ordered  by  you, 
in  your  favor  of  the  1 7th  instant.     The  goods  have  been  forwarded  to  your 
address,  per  rail,  this  day. 

*  It  will  be  observed  that  two  letters  were  exchanged  before  the  word  dear  was 
placed  before  Sir  in  the  complimentary  address. 


152  APPENDIX. 

The  greatest  care  has  been  exercised  in  the  selection  of  the  goods,  and  I 
trust  that  you  will  be  pleased  with  them  in  every  respect. 

The  terms  in  which  Mr.  Beaman  has  spoken  of  you  are  perfectly  satisfac- 
tory, and  I  need  no  fiu-ther  references. 

Thanking  you  for  the  confidence  which  you  appear  disposed  to  place  in  me, 
and  assuring  you  that  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  receive  a  continuance  of  your 
favors,  I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

Yours,  faithfully, 

J.  B.  Thompson. 


xxin. 

A  LETTEE,  REFUSING  TO   EXECUTE   AN   ORDER  UNTIL  REFERENCES 
ARE  FURNISHED. 

New  York,  Sept.  10,  1872. 
James  Patterson,  Esq., 

Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
Sir,  —  We  are  in  receipt  of  your  favor  of  the  8th  instant,  inclosing  order 
for  goods;  in  respect  to  which  we  would  respectfully  remind  you  that  you 
have  omitted  to  furnish  us  with  references,  and  that  you  make  no  mention 
of  the  mode  in  which  you  propose  to  pay  for  the  goods. 

We  need  scarcely  remind  you  that  it  is  customary  in  all  cases,  on  giving  a 
first  order,  to  furnish  satisfactory  references,  or  to  forward  the  cash.  As  we 
have  not  hitherto  had  the  pleasure  of  transacting  business  with  you,  and  have, 
indeed,  no  knowledge  of  you,  we  must  beg  of  you  to  furnish  us  with  the  names 
of  some  two  or  three  respectable  houses  with  whom  you  are  in  the  habit  of 
doing  business,  or  to  express  your  willingness  to  pay  ready  money  for  the 
goods,  on  receipt  of  the  invoice. 

Very  respectfully  yours. 

Brown,  Dunn,  &  Smith. 

XXIV. 

LETTER,  DECLINING    TO    EXECUTE    AN    ORDER    ON  ACCOUNT  OF  UN- 
SATISFACTORY REFERENCES. 

Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  10,  1872. 
James  B.  "Weaver,  Esq., 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Sir,  —  In  reply  to  your  favor  of  the  8th  instant  we  would  respectfully  say, 
that  we  must  decline  executing  the  order  you  have  transmitted  us  on  any  other 
terms  than  cash. 

In  arriving  at  this  conclusion,  we  trust  you  will  not  think  us  unnecessarily 
harsh ;  but,  without  entering  into  particulars,  permit  us  to  observe  that  our 


APPENDIX,  153 

means  are  too  limited,  and  the  profits  realized  by  the  particular  class  of 
goods  we  sell  are  too  small,  to  admit  of  our  opening  accounts  in  the  settle- 
ment of  which  there  might  be  a  want  of  promptitude  and  punctuality. 

If  you  think  proper  to  receive  our  goods  on  the  terms  suggested,  we  will 
select  them  with  due  care,  forward  you  the  invoice,  and,  on  receipt  of  cash  for 
the  same,  the  parcels  shall  be  immediately  dispatched  to  you. 

We  are,  Sir, 

Respectfully  yours, 

Smith,  Perkins,  &  Co. 

XXV. 

ORDER  FROM  A  MERCHANT  TO  A  MANUFACTURER. 

Detroit,  Mich.,  Sept.  7,  1872. 
Sage,  Pancoast,  &  Co., 

Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Gentlemen,  —  I  have  the  pleasure  of  forwarding  you  an  order  for  goods 
as  per  sample  in  package  by  express. 

In  executing  this  order,  I  beg  of  you  to  be  particular  as  regards  quality,  &c., 
as  I  require  the  goods  for  a  special  class  of  customers. 

In  the  event  of  your  being  able  to  execute  the  order  partially  only,  or  not 
being  able  to  execute  it  at  all,  please  advise  me  to  that  effect  as  speedily 
as  possible,  so  that  I  may  acquaint  my  correspondents  with  equal  prompti- 
tude. 
Your  particular  attention  to  this  matter  will  oblige, 

Gentlemen, 

Yours  truly, 

W.  Potter. 

XXVI. 

ANSWER,  EXECUTING  THE   ORDER  IN  FULL. 

RooHESTEB,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  9,  1872. 
"W.  Potter,  Esq., 

Detroit,  Michigan. 
Dear  Sir,  —  Yoiu*  favor  of  the  7th  instant  has  received  our  prompt  atten- 
tion, and  we  are  happy  to  say  that  we  have  been  able  to  execute  your  order 
in  such  manner  as  we  think  will  give  you  perfect  satisfaction. 

In  order  that  there  should  be  as  little  delay  as  possible,  we  have  forwarded 
the  goods  per  quick  train,  hoping  they  will  reach  you  to-morrow  morning. 

Holding  ourselves  in  readiness  for  your  further  commands,  and  assuring 
you  of  our  desire  to  attend  to  your  interests. 
We  are,  dear  Sir, 

Faithfully  yours. 

Sage,  Pancoast,  &  Co. 
7* 


154  APPENDIX. 

xxvn. 

ANSWER,  ADVISING  OF  PARTIAL  COMPLIANCE. 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  9,  1872. 
W.  Potter,  Esq., 

Detroit,  Michigan. 
Dear  Sir,  —  We  regret  to  say  that  it  is  out  of  our  power  at  present  to 
execute  your  order,  received  per  your  favor  of  the  7th  instant,  in  the  way 
we  would  wish.  For  the  class  of  goods  named,  there  is  just  now  such  a 
demand  that  we  are  unable  to  procm-e  them  fast  enough ;  and,  indeed,  we  have 
been  compelled  to  disappoint  others  of  our  correspondents  besides  yourself. 

We  have,  however,  done  the  best  we  could  to  your  kind  order,  and  shall 
be  in  a  position  in  ten  days'  time  to  complete  it  without  fail.  On  receipt  of 
your  instructions  to  that  effect  we  will  immediately  forward  you  the  goods 
we  have  looked  out ;  or,  if  you  prefer  it,  will  retain  them  till  the  remaining 
portion  of  the  order  is  executed,  and  forward  the  whole  together. 

Regretting  our  inability  to  comply  with  your  request  in  this  instance,  and 
assuring  you  of  our  utmost  endeavors  to  occasion  you  as  little  disappointment 
as  possible,  we  are,  dear  Sir, 

Faithfully  yours. 

Sage,  Pancoast,  &  Co. 

xxvm. 

ANSWER  TO  AN  ADVERTISEMENT  OFFERING   GENERAL   EMPLOYMENT. 

82  West  Ave.,  Rochester,  Sept.  7,  1872. 
Sir,*  — 

I  hasten  to  reply  to  your  advertisement  in  Union  and  Advertiser  of  this 
afternoon.  I  am  most  desirous  of  obtaining  employment,  and  would  not  con- 
sider present  emolument  so  much  an  object  as  the  prospect  of  a  permanent 
and  respectable  situation. 

I  am  a  young  man,  age  twenty-one,  and  single ;  have  received  a  good  com- 
mercial education,  and  am  versed  in  book-keeping  and  accounts  generally. 
In  other  respects  I  am  willing  to  render  myself  generally  useful. 

In  the  event  of  your  doing  me  the  honor  to  select  me  for  the  proffered  em- 
ployment, I  can  furnish  you  with  satisfactory  testimonials  as  to  character, 
and,  if  necessary,  provide  guarantees  of  fidelity. 

Trusting  that  I  may  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  from  you  in  reply, 

I  am,  Sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Henry  Marsh. 
To  James  Smith, 

Osborne  House. 

*  A  letter  from  an  inferior  to  a  superior  should  omit  the  name  at  the  beginning ; 
but  it  should  be  placed  at  the  foot,  as  in  this  example. 


APPENDIX.  155 

XXIX. 

ASKING  PERMISSION  TO  REFER  TO  A  PERSON. 

13  Beekman  Street, 

New  York,  Sept.  10,  1872. 
Dear  Sir, — 

As  I  have  had  the  honor  of  being  known  to  you  for  some  years,  during 
which  time  I  trust  my  conduct  has  impressed  you  favorably,  I  take  the 
liberty  of  soliciting  at  your  hands  the  following  favor. 

Messrs.  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co.  are  in  want  of  a  correspondent  at  Liverpool, 
England,  and  as  I  am  about  to  proceed  there  on  some  affairs  of  my  own,  and 
shall  probably  take  up  my  residence  there  for  several  years,  I  am  anxious  to 
secure  a  post  which  appears  to  me  in  every  way  eligible,  and  accords  exactly 
with  my  taste  and  inclination. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  Messrs.  Stewart  &  Co.  desire  testimonials  as  to  my 
capacity  and  integrity ;  and  as  you  are  in  a  position  to  speak  positively  on 
these  points,  I  write  to  ask  whether  I  may  so  far  trespass  on  your  kindness  as 
to  mention  your  name  by  way  of  reference. 

Should  you  kindly  grant  this  request,  I  need  scarcely  assure  you  that  my 
endeavor  will  be  to  prove  both  to  Messrs.  Stewart  &  Co.  and  yourself  that 
you  have  not  been  mistaken  in  your  opinion  of  me ;  while  I  shall  ever  feel 
grateful  for  this  further  instance  of  the  interest  evinced  by  you  in  the  wel- 
fare of 

Your  truly  obliged 

Henry  B.  Evans. 


XXX. 

A  LETTER  TO  A  FORMER  EMPLOYER  WHOSE  NAME  HAS  BEEN  GIVEN 
AS  A  REFERENCE. 

18  Bleeker  Street, 

New  York,  Sept.  16,  1872. 
Sir,— 

I  beg  to  inform  you  that  I  have  a  prospect  of  being  employed  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  George  C.  Hackett  &  Co.  I  had  an  interview  with  those  gentle- 
men this  morning,  and,  being  asked  for  a  reference,  took  the  liberty  of  giving 
them  your  name. 

The  length  of  time  I  had  the  honor  of  being  in  your  employ,  and  the  gen- 
eral satisfaction  you  were  pleased  to  express  with  my  conduct  and  ability, 
lead  me  to  hope  that  you  will  speak  favorably  of  me,  adding  this  to  the 
numerous  obligations  already  conferred  upon 

Your  obedient  servant, 

E.  Metcalp. 
W.  Martin,  Esq. 


156  APPENDIX, 

XXXI. 

FROM  A  YOUNG  MAN  WHO  HAS  BEEN  RECOMMENDED  TO  A  MERCHANT. 

916  Chestnut  St.,  Phila.,  Pa., 

Oct.  6,  1872. 
Sir,— 

Having  learned  from  Mr.  Thompson  that  you  were  desirous  that  I  should 
write  you,  I  hasten  to  discharge  that  pleasing  duty. 

I  have  always  felt  a  great  inclination  towards  commerce,  and  have  enter- 
tained a  hope  of  gaining  admission  to  such  a  house  as  yours,  believing  it 
would  still  further  stimulate  my  predilection  for  trade. 

I  can  confidently  assure  you,  sir,  that  if  assiduity,  energy,  obedience,  and 
fidelity  can  gain  your  favor,  I  shall  not  neglect  to  render  myself  deserving 
of  it. 

My  father  desires  me  to  say  that  he  will  present  me  to  you  on  Tuesday 
next.    In  the  mean  time,  I  have  the  honor  to  be.  Sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Henry  Taylor. 

xxxn. 

REQUIRING  INFORMATION  RESPECTING  THE  SOLVENCY  OF  A  TRADER. 

18  Gay  Street, 
"  Baltimore,  Md.,  Sept.  10,  1872. 

R.  MiDDLETON,  Esq., 

Washington,  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir,  —  A  merchant  of  your  city,  whose  name  is  written  on  the  in- 
closed card,  has  just  forwarded  me  a  large  order,  which  he  desires  me  to  fill. 
Not  having  had  any  transactions  with  him,  and  being  naturally  desirous  of 
ascertaining  whether  he  is  trustworthy,  I  should  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if 
you  would  give  me  such  information  as  you  are  able  upon  this  point. 

I  must  apologize  for  the  trouble  I  am  giving  you,  which,  however,  you  will 
probably  excuse,  on  account  of  the  importance  of  the  subject-matter  involved. 

I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Truly  yours, 

Henry  Varnum. 

xxxm. 

FAVORABLE  REPLY. 

Washington,  D.  C,  Sept.  11,  1872. 
Henry  Varntjm,  Esq., 

Baltimore,  Md. 
Dear  Sir,  —  In  reply  to  yours  of  the  10th  instant,  I  am  happy  to  inform 
you  that  the  person  whose  name  you  furnished  me  merits  your  entire  con- 
fidence. 


APPENDIX.  157 

Of  his  means  I  am  not  precisely  informed.  I  fully  believe  them,  however, 
to  be  adequate  to  the  requirements  of  his  trade.  But  of  his  character  and 
habits  I  can  confidently  speak  in  the  highest  terms.  He  is  prompt  and  punc- 
tual in  all  his  transactions ;  and  I  believe  no  person  ever  had  occasion  to 
apply  to  him  the  second  time  for  the  payment  of  his  account. 

I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  send  you  these  assurances ;  and,  trusting  that 
your  business  relations  may  prove  mutually  profitable  and  advantageous,  I  am 

Very  truly  yours, 

B.   MiDDLETON. 
XXXIV. 

UNFAVORABLE  EEPLY. 

Washington,  D.  C,  Sept.  11,  1872. 
Henry  Varntjm,  Esq., 

Baltimore,  Md. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  regret  to  say,  the  person  whose  name  you  mention  in  yours 
of  the  10th  instant  is  totally  unworthy  of  your  confidence.  He  has  no  capi- 
tal ;  and,  what  is  worse,  is  wholly  destitute  of  any  sense  of  business  or  moral 
obligation.  He  is  well  known  to  have  been  in  financial  difiiculties  for  some 
time  past,  and  contrives  to  temporarily  bolster  up  his  affairs  by  obtaining 
new  credits,  and  systematically  underselling  his  goods. 

Sooner  or  later,  his  failure  is  certain.  How  long  he  will  stand  it  depends 
entirely  on  his  ingenuity  to  disguise  matters,  and  the  indulgence  and  creduUty 
of  creditors.  In  the  end,  I  am  convinced  his  creditors  will  obtain  next  to 
nothing. 

I  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to  give  this  account  of  any  brother  tradesman ; 
but,  since  you  request  it  of  me,  and  it  is  highly  important  to  your  interests,  I 
ought  to  speak  with  ingenuousness. 

Yours  very  truly, 

B.   MiDDLETON. 

XXXV. 

INCLOSING  STATEMENT  OF  ACCOUNT. 

New  York,  10  Det  Street, 
Sept.  10,  1872. 
Messrs.  A.  S.  Mann,  &  Co., 

Rochester,  N".  Y. 
Gentlemen,  —  Inclosed  we  hand  you  statement  of  account  for  the  past 
month,  which  we  believe  you  will  find  correct. 

We  shall  feel  obliged  by  your  examining  the  same  at  your  earliest  con- 
venience, and  shall  be  happy  to  receive  yoiu*  check  for  the  amount,  or  instruc- 
tions to  draw  on  you  in  the  ordinary  course. 

We  are,  gentlemen, 

Yours  truly, 

Brown  &  Bromley. 


158  APPENDIX. 

XXXVI. 

INCLOSING  BILL  FOR  ACCEPTANCE. 

New  Yoek,  Sept.  17,  1872. 
Messes.  Smith  &  Seaver, 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Gentlemen,  —  Inclosed  we  hand  you  bill  for  acceptance  for  S  652.73,  the 
amount  of  balance  due  from  you  to  us  to  the  present  date. 

We  shall  feel  obliged  by  your  accepting  the  same,  and  returning  it  by  due 
course  of  mail. 

Awaiting  further  favors,  we  are,  gentlemen. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Brown,  Smith,  &  Seaman. 

xxxvn. 

REMINDING  OF  THE   STATEMENT  OF  AN  ACCOUNT  UNPAID. 

Boston,  Mass.,  Sept.  16,  1872. 
Edwin  Bristol,  Esq., 

Utica,  N.  Y. 
Sir,  —  We  beg  to  remind  you  that  on  the  10th  instant  we  forwarded  state- 
ment of  account,  requesting  you  at  the  same  time  either  to  transmit  us  a 
check,  or  give  us  instructions  to  draw  upon  you  in  the  ordinary  way. 

Not  having  heard  from  you  in  reply,  we  again  write,  asking  your  imme- 
diate attention  to  this  matter,  by  giving  which  you  will  much  oblige 

Yours  very  truly, 

HUSE   &  HiGGINS. 

XXX  vm. 

FROM  A  RETAIL  TO  A  WHOLESALE  MERCHANT,  ASKING  TIME  FOR 

PAYMENT. 

Meadville,  Penn.,  Sept.  11,  1872. 
John  J.  Merwin,  Esq., 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  am  compelled  by  unfortunate  circumstances,  and  much 
against  my  will,  to  make  a  request,  —  the  first  of  the  kind  I  have  ever  made, 
and  I  sincerely  trust  it  may  be  the  last. 

For  a  variety  of  reasons,  business  in  this  vicinity  has  latterly  been  so  very 
dull  that  I  have  been  unable  to  realize  the  funds  necessary  to  meet  my  engage- 
ments ;  and  I  see  no  prospect  that  I  can  at  present,  unless  I  dispose  of  my 
stock  at  a  great  sacrifice,  which  I  cannot  think  you  would  desire  me  to  do. 

I  have  many  good  accounts,  none  of  which,  however,  are  due  yet  for  three 


APPENDIX.  159 

weeks,  and  I  could  not  ask  for  payment  beforeliand  without  running  the  risk 
of  offending  some  of  my  best  and  largest  customers. 

I  trust  that  under  these  circumstances  you  will  extend  indulgence,  and  suffer 
my  account  to  stand  over,  say  for  one  month  from  this  day,  when  it  will  be 
punctually  met,  and  the  obhgation  most  gratefully  acknowledged  by 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

E.  C.  Darwin. 


XXXIX. 

REPLY  TO  THE  FOREGOING. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  Sept.  12,  1872. 
E.  C.  Darwin,  Esq., 

Meadville,  Penn. 
Dear  Sir,  —  In  reply  to  your  letter  of  yesterday,  I  beg  to  say  that  I 
most  cheerfully  accede  to  your  very  reasonable  request ;  and  I  am  only  sorry 
to  learn  that  business  should  have  been  so  dull  as  to  place  you  in  this  dis- 
agreeable position. 

I  trust,  however,  that  matters  will  shortly  improve  with  you,  and,  assuring 
you  of  my  continual  desire  to  serve  you, 

I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Faithfully  yours, 

John  J.  Merwin. 


XL. 

ANOTHER  REPLY. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  Sept.  11,  1872. 
E.  C.  Darwin,  Esq.,  - 

Meadville,  Pa. 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  was  somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of 
yesterday,  asking  the  liberty  of  postponing  the  payment  of  your  account ;  for, 
to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  had  confidently  relied  on  the  cash  due  from  you  to 
meet  my  own  engagements. 

I  do  not  wish,  however,  to  appear  illiberal  and  selfish.  I  will,  therefore, 
allow  the  matter  to  stand  over  until  the  time  you  mention.  I  must  at  the 
same  time,  however,  request  you  to  be  punctual  then,  as  non-fulfilment  on 
your  part  would  really  place  me  in  a  position  of  some  difficulty. 

I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Very  truly  yours, 

John  J.  Merwin. 


160  APPENDIX, 

XLI. 

A  SHARP  DUNNING  LETTER. 

Albany,  NT.  Y.,  Sept.  19,  1872. 
Mr.  Geo.  H.  Pratt, 

Watertown,  N.  Y. 

Sir,  —  You  wrote  me  a  month  ago,  declaring  your  inability  to  settle  your 
account,  and  stating  in  the  most  positive  terms  that  a  settlement  should  be 
made  on  the  first  day  of  the  present  month.  More  than  a  fortnight  has 
elapsed  since  the  day  named,  but  the  promised  settlement  has  not  been  made, 
neither  have  I  heard  one  word  from  you  respecting  the  matter. 

I  now  feel  compelled  to  write  you  in  more  serious  terms,  and  to  urge  upon 
your  attention  the  necessity  of  attending  to  this  business  without  further 
delay. 

As  a  man  of  business  you  must  be  aware  that  these  irregularities  in  connec-: 
tion  with  money  matters  are  calculated  to  cause,  not  only  distrust  in  yourself, 
but  much  inconvenience  to  me ;  and  allow  me  to  tell  you  plainly,  that  if  all 
my  customers  were  as  tardy  in  settling  their  accounts  as  you  are  I  should  soon 
be  compelled  to  give  up  business. 

I  cannot  help  thinking,  that,  although  you  may,  as  other  men  do,  experience 
occasional  periods  of  pressure,  the  general  irregularity  in  your  payments  arises 
from  an  absence  of  consideration  for  others  rather  than  a  want  of  means. 

Now  that  I  have  thus  placed  the  matter  before  you,  I  do  hope  that  you  will 
not  only  promptly  attend  to  this  account,  but  that  you  will  endeavor  to  be 
more  punctual  in  future  engagements. 

I  am,  Sir, 

Yours  respectfully, 

W.  G.  Wheeler. 

XLn. 

A  MILD  DUNNING  LETTER. 

POUGHKEEPSIE,  Sept.  10,  1872. 
W.  Brown,  Esq., 

Syracuse,  N".  Y., 
Dear  Sir,  —  Allow  me  to  remind  you  that  your  account  with  me  has  be^i 
standing  for  several  months  unsettled. 

I  should  not  even  now  have  called  your  attention  particularly  to  it,  were  it 
not  that  in  a  few  days  I  must  meet  a  heavy  bill,  and  must  rely  in  part  on  your 
bill  to  furnish  the  means  of  providing  for  it. 

I  should,  therefore,  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if  you  would  let  me  have  either 
the  whole,  or  at  least  a  considerable  portion,  of  yoxar  account  in  the  course  of 
a  week  or  ten  days. 

Thanking  you  for  past  favors,  I  remain.  Sir, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

A.  K.  Morgan. 


APPENDIX.  161 

XLm. 

FROM  A  MERCHANT  ASKING  FURTHER  TIME  OF  HIS  PRINCIPAL 

CREDITOR. 

Hallowell,  Me.,  Sept.  18,  1872. 
"William  Gray,  Esq., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Sir,  —  It  is  with  extreme  reluctance  and  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to 
inform  you  that  my  affairs  are,  for  the  present,  so  embarrassed  as  to  render  it 
impossible  to  meet  my  engagements  with  you  for  some  four  or  five  months. 

You  are  my  principal  creditor ;  and  to  you  I  address  myself  in  this  difficulty, 
trusting  that  you  will  allow  me  the  extension  of  time  I  ask.  If  you  can  do  so, 
I  shall  be  enabled  to  discharge  in  full  all  the  claims  against  me,  and  place  my 
financial  concerns  once  more  in  a  sound  condition. 

I  may  be  allowed  to  inform  you  that  my  difficulties  have  arisen  from  cir- 
cumstances over  which  I  could  exercise  no  control.  During  the  last  twelve 
months  I  have  been  visited  with  severe  family  afl3iction ;  and,  in  addition, 
several  customers,  who,  in  the  aggregate,  owe  me  a  large  sum,  have  either 
failed  or  kept  out  of  the  way. 

Trusting  to  your  ability  and  willingness  to  grant  this  request,  I  remain,  sir, 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

Arthur  Watson. 


XLIV. 

FROM  A  MERCHANT  WHO  HAS  BEEN  COMPELLED  TO   SUSPEND 

PAYMENT. 

Burlington,  Yt,,  Oct.  1,  1872. 
Messrs.  Doan  &  Dean, 

119  Broadway,  New  York. 
Gentlemen,  —  It  becomes  my  unpleasant  duty  to  apprise  you,  that,  owing 
to  a  severe  loss  by  the  recent  fire  in  this  place,  I  am  compelled  to  suspend 
payment. 

I  have  no  doubt,  however,  that  in  the  course  of  six  months,  at  farthest,  I 
shall  find  it  in  my  power  to  do  full  justice  to  all  my  creditors. 

Meanwhile  I  have  placed  my  books  and  resources  in  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Jewett  &  Co.,  the  well-known  accountants ;  aiid  I  trust  that  even  under  the 
darkest  aspect  of  affairs  there  will  be  a  considerable  dividend  coming  shortly, 
and  that  within  the  time  mentioned  my  estate  will  yield  one  hundred  cents  to 
the  dollar. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  gentlemen. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

James  Galloway. 


162  APPENDIX. 

XLV. 

INQUIRING  INTO  THE  CHAEACTER  OF  A  CLERK. 

19  OoETLAND  Street, 

New  York,  Oct.  3,  1872. 
James  Dobson,  Esq., 

Albany,  N.  Y. 

Sir,  —  Mr.  J.  H.  Fountain,  who  represents  himself  as  having  been  in  your 

employment  for  the  last  three  years,  has  referred  me  to  you  for  testimonials 

of  his  character,  &c.,  and  as  I  have  some  intention  of  engaging  him,  I  should 

feel  obliged  if  you  will  inform  me  as  to  his  honesty  and  general  good  conduct, 

as  well  as  to  his  fitness  for  the  post  which  he  seeks  to  fill  in  my  estabUshment. 

I  am,  Sir, 

Respectfully  yours, 

J.  Brewster. 

XLVI. 

REPLY  TO  THE  FOREGOING. 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  4,  1872. 
J.  Brewster,  Esq., 

19  Cortland  Street,  New  York. 
Sir,  —  In  reply  to  your  favor  of  yesterday,  inquiring  into  the  character  of 
Mr.  J.  H.  Fountain,  I  would  say  that  he  was  in  my  employment  for  three 
years  as  book-keeper. 

During  that  time  he  served  me  with  fidelity,  and  conducted  himself  in  all 
respects  to  my  entire  satisfaction.  Moreover,  I  consider  him  well  fitted  to 
undertake  the  duties  of  counting-house  clerk. 

I  would  gladly  have  retained  him ;  but  he  seeks  a  broader  field  of  labor, 
and  deserves  a  higher  salary  than  I  can  afibrd  to  pay. 

Truly  yours, 

James  Dobson. 

XLYH. 

NOTICE  OF  DISSOLUTION  OF  PARTNERSHIP. 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  1,  1872. 
Messrs.  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co., 
New  York. 
Gentlemen,  —  On  the  10th  of  this  month  the  partnership  heretofore  and 
now  existing  between  John  Smith  and  George  Brown,  grocers  in  this  city, 
will  expire  by  the  terms  of  its  own  limitation. 

After  that  date  the  business  will  be  carried  on  at  the  old  stand,  No.  76  State 


APPENDIX.  163 

Street,  by  Mr.  George  Brown  and  L.  R.  Townsend,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Brown  &  Townsend.    We  are,  gentlemen. 

Your  obedient  servants. 

Smith  &  Brown. 

XLVm. 

ANNOUNCING  A  CHANGE  IN  A  FIRM. 

Ogdensburgh,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  1,  1872. 
A.  B.  Griswold  &  Co., 

Penn  Yan,  N.  Y. 
Gentlemen,  —  We  beg  leave  to  inform  you  that  we  have  this  day  taken 
into  partnership  Mr.  William  Warren,  who  for  the  last  ten  years  has  been 
confidentially  employed  by  us.     The  firm  will  be  from  this  day  Jones,  Brown, 
&  Warren. 

Soliciting  a  continuance  of  the  confidence  hitherto  reposed  in  us,  we  are, 
gentlemen, 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

Stephen  Jones, 
Nathan  Brown. 

Stephen  Jones  will  sign  Jones,  Brown,  &  Warren.* 
Nathan  Brown  will  sign  Jones,  Brown,  &  Warren. 
William  Warren  will  sign  Jones,  Brown,  &  Warren. 

*  The  handwriting  of  each  member  of  the  firm  is  given  that  the  correspondents 
of  the  new  company  need  not  be  imposed  upon  by  forged  signatures. 


164  APPENDIX. 


PAET    II, 


LEGAL  BUSINESS  FORMS. 

I. 
INLAND  BILL  OF  EXCHANGE,  PAYABLE  TO  ORDER. 

Q^^  (Xcan^,  /t(zy  ^  Q/f  (2yf  ^^l^cdaic/,    al   oic/el,    one   duncAe</ 
ao^zW,  'iAcitue  lececz^ec/,  cincc  cnai^e  ^  account  o^ 

1.  This  is  called  an  Inland  Bill  of  Exchange,  because  the  drawer, 
L.  L.  Williams,  and  the  drawee,  A.  T.  Stewart,  reside  in  the  same 
State  or  country. 

2.  Before  this  bill  can  be  transferred  to  you  or  any  other  person,  it 
must  be  indorsed  by  S.  S.  Packard,  the  payee. 

3.  If  the  bill  is  so  indorsed  and  transferred  to  John  Smith,  for  in- 
stance. Smith  becomes  indorsee.  If  Packard  indorses  it  in  full,  that 
is,  in  these  or  similar  words,  "Pay  to  the  order  of  John  Smith"  John 
Smith's  signature,  or  his  identity,  must  be  proved  to  the  satisfaction 
of  Mr.  Stewart,  before  he  will  pay  the  money  on  the  bill.  Otherwise 
he  might  pay  to  the  wrong  person,  and  lose  the  amount  himself. 
Stewart  must  also  know  Packard's  signature  to  be  genuine. 

n. 

INLAND  BILL  PAYABLE  TO  BEARER. 

<S^  ^7t   clxya'  iXca^,  ^^y   ^    0.    ^.  (^o^nt,  ol   ^eaict,  on^ 
n€cncAec&  eu^tuzi<),  i^auce  'tecec'ue</,  ana  cnai^  ^  accou?t^  oj- 
<§/o  Q^u^n,   M^/teman,  \  J'odn  M.    <^aine//. 


(S/uy^l,Sf  <^o..   Q4'eu^    <^d. 


} 


APPENDIX.  165 

1.  This  bill  can  be  transferred  by  delivery,  with  or  without  indorse- 
ment. 

2.  When  it  is  presented  to  the  drawees,  it  is  presented  for  accept- 
ance, and  not  for  payment.  If  they  accept  it,  they  will  write  across 
the  face  of  it  the  word  accepted,  giving  date,  and  then  sign  their 
partnership  name  to  the  acceptance.  The  date  of  the  acceptance 
shows  when  the  bill  falls  due. 

3.  It  is  not  necessary  that  the  holder  of  such  a  bill,  when  he 
demands  acceptance  or  payment,  should  identify  himself.  It  is  enough 
that  he  is  the  hearer. 

4.  The  words  at  ten  days'  sight  mean  ten  days  after  this  hill  shall 
he  shown  to  you,  the  drawees. 


m. 

FOREIGN  BILL  OF  EXCHANGE. 
^:/,0{?6f.       (S/dcUu   c/a^   a/^i,  acad^  of  ^dct)    S^cU^  o/  Sx- 

cdalae  ^  accoun,^  a^ 
q7o  ^adn,  ,£0lota7i. 


Suppose  this  bill  of  exchange  is  sent  out  by  steamer  from  New  York, 
October  2,  1872.  Perhaps  the  vessel  is  wrecked  on  its  passage,  and 
the  bill  never  reaches  Liverpool.  To  provide  against  such  a  contin- 
gency a  second  bill  is  drawn,  bearing  the  same  date,  and  is  sent  by 
the  next  steamer,  which  second  bill  reads  thus  :  — 

2.    Sxcdan^^  Q4iu^  ^oid,  0a.   /,   l/§7^' 

dS''/,000.       (S^dcUu  c/a^  ci/^i  t^d^^  o^  ^de^  (^eco?iJ  o^  Sx- 
cdafiae   /^id^  <zru/  'ldcic&  un^iau/y ,  ^^y  ^   ^^   oiuei^   oj-   <tz^.   €^z^. 


166  APPENDIX. 


/Tcmama    one   Moa^^nc^  ^una/<)   ii^ie^na,    'ua^    iececvec/,    anc^ 
cn€ii^  lo  account  o^ 

'yncei,. 


^iotau. 


Now,  it  is  among  the  posdhilities  that  this  second  bill  may  meet 
with  the  same  fate  as  the  first,  to  provide  against  which  a  third  is 
drawn  as  follows  :  — 


£l/,000.       o/da^u   c/a^    aJ^i   acad^  o/  //^  S^dliJ  o/  Sa>- 
cnanae  ^id'^  tznc^  ^Uconc^  t/.?i^uicc// ,  ^ay  ^o  ■me   oic/el'  o/ 1^.   <^. 
Wc^£a7nd    one    ^nauaun^  ^ounc^    a-tieiun^,    'i/adce   iececzAec/,    am/ 
cnalae  ^  accou^i-i  o^ 


iown. 


\ 


.^£tv^ei^ioot,    Snauinc/, 


Mo^U  ^  (^lence^. 


1.  These  three  bills  constitute  legally  but  one  bill, — are  a  set, — 
and  the  payment  of  one  is  the  payment  of  all. 

2.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  first  of  the  set  has  these  words 
included  in  parentheses:  ''Second  and  third  unpaid."  This  means,  if 
the  second  and  third  are  not  paid,  pay  this ;  and  so  of  the  others.  If 
the^rs^  and  third  are  not  paid,  pay  this  second ;  and  ^/'  the  first  and 
second  are  not  paid,  pay  this  third  bill. 

3.  This  class  of  bills  of  exchange  are  called  foreign,  because  the 
drawer  and  drawee  reside  in  different  States  or  countries. 

4.  The  American  States  are  foreign  to  each  other  in  regard  to  bills 
of  exchange.  A  draft,  or  bill,  drawn  by  one  who  resides  in  Jersey  City 
on  a  merchant  or  banker  residing  in  New  York,  and  payable  in  the 
latter,  would  be  a  foreign  bill,  though  the  cities  are  but  a  mile  or  two 
apart. 

5.  Before  Mr.  Williams  sends  the  foregoing  draft  to  Liverpool,  he 
should  indorse  it  in  full,  payable  to  the  order  of  his  correspondent  in 
that  city,  thus,  Pay  to  the  order  of  William  Jackson,  and  write  his 
name  under  the  indorsement. 


APPENDIX.  167 

6.  A  draft  should  always  be  made  payable  in  tbe  currency  of  the 
country  where  the  drawee  resides.  In  England  it  should  be  joowwc?«; 
in  France,  francs  ;  and  in  this  country,  dollars. 

IV. 

PROMISSORY  NOTE  PAYABLE  TO  ORDER. 

(S/ivtee  TnonMd  jfiont  cui^  Q/^ ^ilOTncde  ^  ^a-y  .£^o^ei^  ^. 
&yie7icei',  oi>  oicCei',  one  'tnoudanco  cca^^ia,  ^o^  ^^auce  i^ce^ec&. 

To  properly  transfer  this  note  (IV.),  Mr.  Spencer,  the  payee,  must 
write  his  name  across  the  back  of  it.  If  he  writes  it  in  blank,  that  is, 
simply  his  name,  it  can  then  be  transferred  from  hand  to  hand  without 
further  indorsement. 

V. 

PROMISSORY  NOTE  PAYABLE  TO  BEARER. 

Q/dii/^y  aciyd  a/^e^  cui^  Q^  ^lioma^e  ■^o  ^^y  .=^lo^ei^  ^. 
&^^?tce^,  oi>  ^ea/i^,  one  -tuou^kzncl  cComzi<),  ^oi^  'i^auce  iecect^ecC. 

This  note  (V.)  is  transferable  from  hand  to  hand,  like  a  bank  bill, 
without  indorsement,  on  account  of  the  word  hearer. 

VI. 
JOINT  AND  SEVERAL  NOTE. 

}^ir,C?C?0.  Mocde^^eK  0a    /,   /(^/il 

(^ftx^  c/(zw>  ^'i^m  c/a^  tae^ocn^-^  a7icl  aeveiauy  ^Ao'?nu>a  'to 
^y  ^^^  (^o.  (^^ac^ei',  oi,  ^eaie^,  one  'tdocukz,?icl  c/o^i^,  /o^  v^a/ue 
iececvec/. 

S.    M.    S^e/^n. 


168  APPENDIX. 

On  this  last  note  (VI.)  each  makes  a  separate  promise  that  he  will 
pay  the  sum  mentioned  at  the  time  specified.  The  holder  can  sue 
either  or  both,  as  he  chooses,  when  the  note  becomes  due,  unless  paid. 
If  the  word  severally  were  omitted,  the  holder  must  sue  both  Felton 
and  Folsom,  if  he  sues  at  all. 

So,  if  a  note  reads,  ^^  I  promise  to  pay, ^^  and  is  signed  by  more  than 
one  person,  each  signer  may  be  sued  separately,  as  though  he  were  the 
only  one  who  made  the  note ;  for  it  is  a  joint  and  several  instrument. 


vn. 

BANK  CHECK. 

gmerf  §mkmg  ^au^, 

e^^^  ^     j^     Jr.      7rai7iei^,  oi  ^e<ziei^,  one  ^uncAe</  c^^uai^. 

Instead  of  the  word  hearer,  if  the  check  is  not  to  be  used"  imme- 
diately, or  if  it  is  to  be  sent  to  the  payee  by  mail,  it  is  safer  to  insert 
the  word  order ;  as,  in  such  case,  if  the  check  miscarries  or  gets  lost, 
or  the  letter  containing  it  is  robbed,  no  one  can  obtain  the  money  on 
it  until  it  is  indorsed  by  the  payee.  Or,  if  paid  under  a  forged  indorse- 
ment, the  loss  falls  on  the  bank. 


vm. 

WILL. 

When  it  is  convenient  to  employ  a  lawyer  to  write  a  will,  or  some 
one  who  is  familiar  with  legal  forms,  the  services  of  such  a  person 
should  be  procured.     But  this  is  not  always  convenient. 

Therefore  every  person  who  can  write  a  legible  hand  should  learn  to 
draw  a  will  in  proper  form.  If  he  never  has  occasion  to  use  this 
knowledge  for  himself,  he  may  be  called  on  to  perform  this  kind  office 
for  a  friend  or  neighbor  suddenly  thrown  upon  a  bed  of  death.  The 
form  of  a  will  ought  to  be  inserted  in  every  Reader,  Arithmetic,  Gram- 
mar,   and   other   common-school   text-book.     No    scholar    should   be 


APPENDIX.  169 

allowed  to  leave  the  primary  school  ignorant  of  the  form  and  legal 
requisites  of  a  will. 

In  some  States  a  will  requires  two,  in  others,  three  subscribing  wit- 
nesses. In  some,  it  is  necessary  to  affix  a  seal  to  the  testator's  name ; 
while  in  others  this  is  unnecessary.  Whether  the  statute  requires  it 
or  not,  it  can  do  no  harm  to  have  three  witnesses,  and  to  affix  a  seal  to 
the  testator's  signature. 

1.  The  testator  is  the  one  who  makes  and  signs  the  will. 

2.  The  donee,  generally  called  legatee  or  devisee,  is  the  one  who 
receives  property  by  the  will.  He  should  not  write  it,  nor  in  any  way 
procure  the  writing  of  it,  nor  be  a  subscribing  witness  to  it. 

3.  The  executor  is  the  person  to  whom  the  execution  of  the  will  is 
intrusted  by  the  testator. 

4.  Anybody  not  interested  in  the  will,  who  is  of  suitable  age  and 
discretion,  even  though  not  of  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  may  be  a 
subscribing  witness  to  a  will. 

5.  The  witnesses  to  a  will  should  write  their  several  places  of  resi- 
dence opposite  their  respective  names. 

6.  The  witnesses  should  sign  their  names  in  the  presence  of  each 
other,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  testator,  and  at  his  request. 

7.  Three  witnesses  are  required  under  the  English  statute,  and  in 
Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  Maine,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Con- 
necticut, New  Jersey,  Maryland,  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama, 
and  Mississippi. 

At  least  two  witnesses  are  required  in  New  York,  Pennsylvania, 
Delaware,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Missouri,  Tennessee,  North 
Carolina,  and  Kentucky. 

8.  At  the  time  of  the  attestation  of  the  witnesses  the  testator  should 
declare  the  instrument  to  be  his  last  wiU  or  testament.     . 

FORM  OF  WILL. 

I,  Henry  Barlow,  of  Rochester,  State  of  New  York,  being  of  sound 
mind  and  memory,  and  considering  the  uncertainty  of  this  frail  and 
transitory  life,  do  therefore  make,  publish,  and  declare  this  to  be  my 
last  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT,  that  is  to  Say :  — 

First.    After  all  my  lawful  debts  and  funeral  expenses  are  paid  and 

discharged,  I  give  and  bequeath  unto  my  wife,  Mary  Barlow,  the 

dwelling-house  and  land  connected  therewith  which  we  now  occupy  as 

a  homestead;    and  all  the  furniture,   including  the  piano,  pictures, 

8 


170  APPENDIX. 

ornaments,  carpets,  library,  and  all  other  things  used  by  us  in  house- 
keeping, or  in  connection  therewith;  and  also  five  thousand  dollars 
cash,  and  twenty-five  shares  in  the  Flour  City  National  Bank. 

Second.  I  give  to  my  son  Samuel  all  my  real  estate  in  the  town  of 
Pittsford,  Monroe  County,  New  York,  and  all  the  stock  and  imple- 
ments used  for  farming  purposes  in  connection  with  the  same. 

Third.  I  give  to  my  daughter  Julia  five  thousand  dollars  cash  for 
her  sole  use,  and  for  the  use  of  her  heirs  at  her  discretion,  free  from 
the  control  of  her  husband. 

Fourth.  The  residue  of  my  property,  real  and  personal,  I  give  and 
bequeath  to  my  unfortunate  and  afflicted  invalid  son  Walter. 

Fifth.  I  hereby  appoint  my  son  Samuel  to  be  executor  and  my  wife 
Mary  to  be  executrix  of  this  my  last  will  and  testament,  hereby  revok- 
ing all  former  wills  by  me  made. 

In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  subscribed  my  name  and  affixed 
my  seal,  the  first  day  of  October,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  seventy-two. 


Henry  Barlow. 


■!     SEAL.      V 


\Attestation.']  , 

The  above  written  instrument  was  subscribed  by  the  said  Henry 
Barlow  in  our  presence,  and  acknowledged  by  him  to  each  of  us ;  and 
he  at  the  same  time  declared  the  above  instrument,  so  subscribed,  to 
be  his  last  will  and  testament ;  and  we,  at  his  request,  have  signed  our 
names  as  witnesses  hereto,  in  his  presence,  and  in  the  presence  of 
each  other,  and  written  opposite  our  names  our  respective  places  of' 

residence. 

John  M.  Dunning,  5  Trowbridge  Street,  Bochester. 
Julius  L.  Townsend,  10  Elizabeth  Street,  Eochester. 
Nelson  L.  Button,  27  Tremont  Street,  Eochester. 


VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS. 

[The  following  tables  are  copied  from  Bryant  &  Stratton's  excellent  work  on  Book- 
keeping, with  the  consent  of  its  author,  S.  S.  Packard,  principal  and  proprietor  of  the 
New  York  Bminess  College.} 


Abandonment,  the  surrendering  of  a  ship  or  goods  insured  to  the  insurer. 
Abatement,  discount  allowed  on  damaged  goods,  or  for  the  payment  of 

money  before  due. 
Acceptance,  the  formal  agreement  to  pay  a  draft  or  bill  according  to  its 

terms. 
Accommodation,  the  loan  of  money  or  of  one's  name,  upon  which  money 

may  be  raised. 
Account,  a  systematic  arrangement  of  debits  and  credits,  under  the  name 

of  a  person,  species  of  property,  or  cause.     Book-keeping  is  the  science  of 

Accounts. 
Account-current,  a  running,  or  unsettled  account. 
Accountant,  one  skilled  in  Accounts,  or  engaged  in  keeping  books. 
Actuary,  the  active  officer  in  a  life  insurance  company ;  one  skilled  in  the 

science  of  annuities. 
Adjustment,  the  settlement  of  a  loss  incurred  by  the  insured ;  a  general 

settlement. 
Administrator,  one  who  administers  upon  an  estate  by  order  of  the  Probate 

Court. 
Adulteration,  the  act  of  debasing  by  mixing  any  spurious  commodity  with 

a  genuine  article. 
Ad  valorem,  according  to  the  value ;  a  term  used  in  fixing  the  rates  of 

duties  on  imports. 
Adventure,  a  speculation  ;  usually  applied  to  the  shipment  of  goods  on  ac- 
count of  the  shipper. 
Advance,  increase  in  price ;  money  paid  on  goods  before  they  are  delivered. 
Advice,  information  given  with  reference  to  a  shipment  or  other  important 

matter. 
Agent,  one  who  acts  ;  usually  applied  to  a  person  who  does  business  for  and 

in  the  name  of  another. 


172  VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS. 

Agio,  a  term  used  to  denote  the  difference  between  the  real  and  nominal' 
value  of  money. 

AlloTvance,  deduction  made  from  weights,  etc.     See  Tare. 

Amalgamation,  the  operation  of  forming  amalgam ;  mixing  mercury  with 
any  metal. 

Antedate,  to  date  beforehand. 

Appraisal,  a  value  set  upon  goods  or  property  of  any  kind. 

Appraiser,  one  who  appraises. 

Aqueduct,  a  channel  or  conduit  for  the  conveyance  of  water. 

Arbitration,  the  hearing  of  a  cause  between  parties  in  controversy ;  estimat- 
ing the  value  of  exchange  negotiated  through  indirect  channels. 

Assay,  the  trial  or  proof  of  the  purity  of  metals. 

Assets,  resources  of  any  kind  ;  available  means. 

Assessment,  a  valuation  of  property  or  profits  for  the  purpose  of  taxation. 

Assessor,  one  who  assesses  or  values  property. 

Assignee,  a  person  properly  appointed  to  transact  business,  or  receive  prop- 
erty for,  or  on  account  of,  any  person  or  estate. 

Assignor,  one  who  makes  an  assignment  or  transfers  property  or  interest. 

Assignment,  the  act  of  making  over  property  or  trust  to  an  assignee. 

Association,  the  union  of  persons  in  company  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

Assortment,  a  variety  of  sorts  or  kinds  adapted  to  various  wants. 

Assurance,  a  guarantee  or  indemnity.     See  Insurance. 

Attachment,  a  legal  warrant  for  seizing  a  man's  person  or  goods. 

Auction,  a  method  of  selling  goods  to  the  highest  bidder. 

Auctioneer,  one  who  sells  goods  at  auction. 

Auditor,  a  person  appointed  and  authorized  to  examine  accounts,  compare 
vouchers,  etc. 

Average,  a  term  used  to  denote  damages  or  expenses  resulting  from  acci- 
dents at  sea ;  the  mean  time  for  the  payment  of  several  items  due  at  differ- 
ent times. 

Avoirdupois,  the  common  standard  of  weight  for  all  commodities  except 
precious  metals  and  drugs. 


Balance,  a  term  used  to  denote  the  difference  between  the  sides  of  an  account, 
or  the  sum  necessary  to  make  the  account  balance ;  an  account  in  the 
ledger,  showing  resources  and  liabilities. 

Balance  of  Trade,  the  difference  between  the  value  of  imports  and  exports. 

Ballast,  a  heavy  substance  placed  in  the  hold  of  a  ship  to  keep  her  steady  in 
the  water. 

Banking,  the  business  of  a  bank. 

Bankrupt,  one  who  is  unable  to  pay  his  debts. 

Bill,  a  general  name  given  to  a  statement  in  writing. 


VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS.  I73 

The  following  are  some  of  the  technical  names  of  bills  :  — 

Bill  of  Exchange,  an  order  drawn  on  a  person  in  a  distant  place, 

requesting  the  payment  of  a  sum  of  money. 
Bill  of  Entry,  a  written  account  of  goods  entered  at  the  custom-house. 
Bill  of  Right,  a  form  of  entry  at  the  custom-house  by  which  the  im- 
porter may  examine  his  goods. 
Bill  of  Lading,  a  list  of  goods  shipped,  having  the  signature  of  the 
master  of  the  vessel  or  the  proper  officer  of  the  transportation  company. 
Bill  of  Parcels,  an  account  given  by  the  seller  to  the  buyer  of  articles 

and  prices. 
Bill  of  Sale,  a  writing  given  by  the  seller  of  personal  property  to  the 

buyer,  equivalent  to  the  deed. 
Bill  of  Health,  a  certificate  from  the  proper  authorities  as  to  the  state 

of  health  of  a  ship's  company  on  leaving  port. 
Bill  of  Mortality,  a  certified  account  of  the  deaths  at  a  certain  place 

during  a  certain  period. 
Bill  of  Credit,  a  document  for  raising  money  on  the  credit  of  a  state. 
Board  of  Trade,  an  association  of  business  men  for  the  general  advancement 

of  commercial  interests. 
Bona  fide,  in  good  faith. 
Bond,  a  deed  by  which  the  party  binds  himself,  his  heirs,  executors,  and 

assigns,  to  the  performance  of  certain  conditions. 
Bonded  Goods,  those  which  remain  in  the  custom  warehouse  until  the  duties 

are  paid. 
Bottomry  Bond,  a  mortgage  on  the  bottom  of  a  vessel,  that  is,  on  the  ves- 
sel itself,  for  the  repayment  of  money  loaned. 
Broker,  a  trader  in  stocks,  money,  or  other  commodities. 
Brokerage,  the  commission  or  percentage  charged  by  a  broker  for  services. 


Capital,  investment  in  business. 

Carat,  the  weight  which  expresses  the  degree  of  fineness  of  gold. 

Cargo,  the  lading  or  freight  of  a  vessel. 

Cashier,  one  who  keeps  the  cash  account ;  the  financial  officer  of  a  bank, 
railroad,  or  mercantile  house. 

Carrier,  one  who  carries  goods  for  another. 

Charter,  an  instrument  bestowed  with  form  and  solemnity,  bestowing  certain 
privileges  and  rights. 

Charter-Party,  a  contract  between  the  owner  of  ^  ship  and  the  freighter. 

Clearance,  a  certificate  from  the  custom-house  that  a  ship  has  permission  to 
sail. 

Clearing,  the  obtaining  of  permission  for  a  ship  to  leave  port ;  the  exchang- 
ing of  drafts  and  settlement  of  balances  between  different  houses. 


174  VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS. 

Clearing-House,  the  place  where  the  operation  of  clearing  is  performed. 
Coasting,  the  trade  carried  on  between  different  ports  of  the  same  country. 
Coin,  pieces  of  metal,  usually  gold  or  silver,  impressed  with  a  public  stamp, 

and  used  as  money. 
Commerce,  the  exchange  of  commodities. 

Commission,  a  percentage  for  the  sale  of  goods  or  other  service. 
Company,  an  association  of  persons  for  a  common  enterprise. 
Compound,  to  settle  with  a  creditor  by  paying  a  part  only  of  the  debt. 
Compromise,  an  agreement  embracing  mutual  concessions. 
Consignee,  one  to  whom  goods  are  consigned. 
Consignment,  goods  consigned  to  be  sold  on  account. 
Consignor,  one  who  consigns  goods. 
Consols,  an  abbreviation  of  the  term  "  Consolidated  Funds/*  applied  to  the 

chief  public  stocks  of  England. 
Consul,  an  agent  for  a  government  in  a  foreign  land. 
Contraband,  an  article  prohibited  from  being  imported,  exported,  bought,  or 

sold. 
Contract,  an  agreement  between  two  or  more  parties,  upon  sufficient  consid- 
eration, to  do,  or  not  to  do,  a  certain  thing. 
Contra,  on  the  opposite  side. 
Copyright,  the  secured  privilege  of  monopolizing  the  publication  of  any  book 

or  work. 
Counterfeit,  a  spurious  article  resembling  the  genuine. 
Coupon,  a  French  word,  signifying  cut  off.    It  is  applied  to  interest  warrants 

attached  to  public  stocks,  bonds,  etc.    When  paid  they  are  cut  off  from  the 

bond. 
Credential,  the  official  warrant  of  a  delegating  power,  authorizing  the  holder 

to  act  in  a  specified  capacity. 
Credit,  trust  given  to  one  who  owes. 
Currency,  a  term  used  to  express  the  collective  amount  of  money  used  in 

the  business  of  buying  and  selling. 
Customs,  the  tariff  charged  by  law  on  imports  or  exports. 
Custom-house,  the  office  where  the  business  connected  with  customs  is 

transacted. 


D. 

Damaged  Goods,  in  the  language  of  customs,  are  goods  subject  to  duties 
that  have  received  injury,  either  in  the  voyage  home  or  the  bonded  ware- 
house. 

Days  of  Grace,  the  time  allowed  by  law  and  usage  between  the  written  date 
of  maturity  of  a  note  or  draft  and  the  date  upon  which  it  must  be  paid. 

Debenture,  a  certificate  of  drawback  entitling  the  importer  to  return  duties 
on  goods  shipped  again. 


VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS.  175 

Debt,  an  amount  owing  from  one  party  to  another. 

Decimal,  from  the  Latin  decern,  signifying  ten ;  any  system  of  counting  by 
tens. 

Decimal  Fractions,  fractions  having  any  power  of  ten  for  their  denominator. 

Deed,  a  written  contract,  sealed  and  delivered. 

Defalcation,  diminution,  deducted  from. 

Defaulter,  one  who  fails  to  account  for  money  or  valuables  entrusted  to  his 
care. 

Delivery,  the  passing  of  goods  or  money  from  one  to  another. 

Demand  and  Supply,  terms  used  to  denote  the  relations  existing  between 
consumption  and  production. 

Demurrage,  forfeit  money  for  detaining  a  vessel  beyond  her  time. 

Denier,  a  small  French  copper  coin. 

Deviation,  the  departure  of  a  vessel  from  the  course  specified  in  her  insur- 
ance policy. 

Diplomacy,  the  art  of  conducting  negotiations. 

Discount,  consideration  allowed  for  the  payment  of  a  debt  before  it  is  due. 

Dividend,  division  of  profits  among  stockholders. 

Drawback,  an  amount  remitted  which  has  been  previously  paid  as  duties. 

Draft,  an  order  for  the  payment  of  money. 

Drawee,  the  person  on  whom  a  draft  is  drawn. 

Drawer,  the  person  who  draws  a  draft. 

Duplicate,  a  copy  or  transcript  of  anything. 

Duty,  a  government  tax. 

E. 

Effects,  property  of  any  kind. 

Embargo,  a  prohibition  laid  by  the  government  on  ships  to  prevent  their 
leaving  port. 

Embezzlement,  the  illegal  appropriation  of  the  funds  of  a  principal  by  an 
agent  or  employee. 

Emporium,  a  commercial  center ;  a  mart. 

Endorse,  to  subscribe  to  anything  ;  to  write  one's  name  on  the  back  of  a  note. 

Engross,  to  monopolize  ;  to  buy  up  produce  for  the  purpose  of  affecting  the 
market ;  to  copy  in  manuscript. 

Exchange,  the  fundamental  principle  of  trade  ;  the  species  of  paper  by  which 
debts  are  paid  without  the  transmission  of  money  ;  premium  and  discount 
arising  from  the  purchase  and  sale  of  funds. 

Exports,  goods  or  produce  carried  abroad. 

Express,  a  messenger  or  vehicle  sent  on  a  special  errand  ;  a  regular  convey- 
ance for  packages. 

P. 

Fabric,  manufactured  cloth. 

Face,  the  amount  expressed  on  a  note  or  draft. 


176  VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS. 

Factor,  an  agent  employed  to  transact  business  for  another. 

Factory,  a  house  or  place  where  factors  reside  ;  a  building  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  goods. 

Fac-simile,  an  exact  resemblance. 

Failure,  becoming  insolvent. 

Fancy  Stocks,  usually  applied  to  the  stocks  of  joint  companies  subject  to 
fluctuation  in  price. 

Favor,  the  polite  term  for  a  letter  received  ;  a  note  or  draft  is  in  favor  of  the 
person  to  whom  it  is  to  be  paid. 

Fee  simple,  an  estate  held  by  a  person  in  his  own  right. 

Finance,  pertaining  to  money  ;  the  public  revenue. 

Financier,  an  officer  of  revenue  ;  one  skilled  in  money  matters. 

Firm,  the  general  title  of  a  copartnership. 

Firkin,  a  measure  equal  to  nine  ale  gallons. 

Foreclose,  to  cut  the  mortgager  off  from  the  equity  of  redemption. 

Forestalling,  buying  up  produce  before  it  gets  to  market  to  enhance  the 
price. 

Form,  a  particular  arrangement ;  a  systematic  method  of  expressing  facts. 

Forecastle,  the  part  of  the  upper  deck  of  a  ship  forward  of  the  mast. 

Folio,  page  of  a  book  ;  usually  applied  to  the  two  pages  opposite  each  other. 

Franc,  a  French  coin,  equal  to  about  eighteen  cents  of  American  money. 

Free  Trade,  the  policy  of  conducting  international  commerce  without  duties. 

Freight,  goods  being  transported  ;  the  price  of  transportation. 

Fund,  a  stock  or  capital ;  a  sum  of  money  appropriated  to  some  special  enter- 
prise ;  used  in  the  plural  to  denote  wealth  generally. 


Gauging,  the  art  of  measuring  the  contents  of  a  cask  or  other  receptacle. 
Gain,  profit ;  increase  in  wealth. 
Gratuity,  a  free  gift ;  a  donation. 

Guarantee,  or  Guaranty,  an  undertaking  or  engagement  by  a  third  person 
that  the  agreement  between  two  parties  shall  be  observed  ;  a  surety. 


Harbor,  a  place  where  ships  may  lie  at  anchorage  and  in  safety ;  a  port  for 

loading  and  unloading. 
Ha-wker,  an  itinerant  peddler  of  merchandise. 
High-way,  a  public  road  or  thoroughfare. 

High  Seas,  the  waters  of  the  ocean  without  the  boundaries  of  any  country. 
Honor,  to  accept  or  pay  when  due. 
Hypothecate,  to  pledge  as  security. 


VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS,  177 


Import,  to  bring  from  a  foreign  country. 

Importation,  the  act  of  importing  ;  the  thing  imported. 

Indemnity,  a  guarantee  against  loss. 

Insolvency,  the  condition  of  bankruptcy. 

Insurance,  indemnity  from  loss  ;  the  rate  paid  for  indemnity. 

Installment,  part  of  a  sum  of  money  paid  or  to  be  paid  at  a  certain  time. 

Interest,  the  use  of  money ;  commonly  defined  as  a  percentage  allowed  by 

the  borrower  to  the  lender. 
Inventory,  a  list  of  goods  enumerated  in  detail. 
Investment,  the  laying  out  of  money  in  the  purchase  of  property. 
Invoice,  a  bill  of  goods  bought  or  sold. 


J. 

Jettison,  goods  thrown  overboard  to  lighten  a  ship  in  a  storm. 

Jointure,  an  estate  in  lands  settled  on  a  woman  in  consideration  of  marriage. 

Joint-stock,  property  held  in  common  by  a  company. 

Journal,  the  chief  book  of  the  current  entries  in  business. 


Lease,  a  contract  demising  the  use  of  property  for  a  certain  time. 

Ledger,  the  merchant's  book  of  accounts. 

Legacy,  a  bequest ;  money  or  property  given  by  will. 

Letter  of  Credit,  an  open  letter  of  request  authorizing  the  holder  to  receive 

money  on  account  of  the  writer. 
Liability,  a  debt  or  claim  against  a  person. 

License,  a  legal  permission  to  do  a  certain  act,  such  as  selling  goods,  etc. 
Lien,  security  on  land  or  other  property. 
Lighter,  a  large,  open,  flat-bottomed  boat  used  to  carry  goods  to  or  from  a 

vessel  when  loading  or  unloading. 
Lighterage,  a  charge  or  commission  for  carrying  goods  in  a  hghter. 
Liquidate,  to  pay  or  satisfy  demands. 
Loan,  that  which  is  lent  for  a  temporary  purpose. 
Lucre,  gain  in  money  or  goods. 

M. 

Manifest,  a  list  of  the  articles  comprising  a  vessel's  cargo. 

Manufacture,  the  process  of.  converting  raw  materials  into  articles  of  use  and 

sale. 
Manufactory,  the  place  where  goods  are  manufactured. 


178  VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE  TERMS. 

Marine,  a  general  name  for  the  navy  of  a  kingdom  or  a  state. 

Maritime  Law,  law  relating  to  harbors,  ships,  and  seamen. 

Mark,  or  Marc,  a  weight  in  European  countries  for  estimating  gold  and  silver. 

Maturity,  the  date  when  a  note  or  draft  falls  due. 

Maximum,  the  liighest  price  or  rate. 

Mercantile  Law,  law  pertaining  to  business  transactions. 

Merchandise,  goods ;  the  common  articles  of  barter. 

Merchant,  one  who  speculates  in  merchandise. 

Minimum,  the  lowest  price  or  rate. 

Mint,  the  place  where  money  is  coined. 

Monopoly,  the  sole  right  to  make  or  use  a  certain  article. 

Monetary,  relating  to  financial  matters. 

Mortgage,  the  transfer  of  property  to  secure  the  payment  of  a  debt. 

Mortgagee,  the  person  to  whom  the  transfer  is  made. 

Mortgager,  the  one  who  makes  the  transfer. 


N. 

Navigation,  the  science  of  conducting  ships  or  other  vessels  from  one  port  to 
another. 

Net,  or  Nett,  that  which  remains  of  a  weight  or  quantity  after  certain  deduc- 
tions. 

Net  Proceeds,  the  amount  due  a  consignor  after  deducting  charges  attend- 
ing sales. 

Nickel,  a  scarce  metal  resembling  silver  ^  used  in  the  composition  of  the  new 
cent  coin  of  the  United  States. 

Notary  Public,  an  officer  whose  chief  business  it  is  to  protest  paper  for  non- 
payment. 

Note,  an  incidental  remark  made  for  the  purpose  of  explanation  ;  a  written 
obligation  to  pay  money  or  goods. 

P. 

Par,  equal  in  value. 

Partnership,  an  agreement  between  two  or  more  persons  to  share  in  the  profit 
and  loss  of  any  enterprise. 

Pawnbroker,  a  person  who  advances  money  on  goods,  having  power  to  dis- 
pose of  the  same  if  the  money  is  not  refunded  as  per  contract. 

Policy  of  Insurance,  contract  between  the  insurer  and  the  insured. 

Portage,  the  amount  paid  by  a  captain  in  running  his  vessel ;  the  price  of 
carrying. 

Premium,  the  sum  paid  for  insurance  ;  the  excess  of  value  above  par. 

Price  Current,  a  list  of  merchandise,  with  market  value. 

Principal,  an  employer ;  the  head  of  a  commercial  house ;  the  sum  loaned 
upon  which  interest  accrues. 


VOCABULARY  OF  MERCANTILE   TERMS.  179 

Protest,  a  formal  notice  to  the  sureties  of  a  note  or  draft,  stating  that  the 
same  was  not  paid  at  maturity  ;  or  to  the  drawer  of  a  draft,  stating  that  the 
same  was  not  accepted  upon  presentment. 


Q. 

Quarantine,  restraint  of  intercourse  to  which  a  ship  is  subjected,  upon  the 
supposition  that  she  may  be  infected  with  disease. 


Rate,  price  ;  amount  above  or  below  par. 

Rebate,  reduction  for  prompt  payment. 

Receipt,  a  written  acknowledgment  of  having  received  money  or  other  value. 

Reprisal,  the  act  of  seizing  ships  or  property  as  indemnity  for  unlawful  seiz- 
ure or  detention. 

Resources,  effects  ;  property  of  any  kind. 

Revenue,  the  annual  produce  of  rents,  excise,  customs,  duties,  etc.,  collected 
by  a  state  or  nation. 


Salvage,  an  allowance  made  by  law  for  the  saving  of  a  ship's  cargo  from 

wreck  or  fire. 
Sample,  a  specimen. 

Seaworthy,  in  a  proper  condition  to  venture  to  sea. 
Seize,  to  take  possession  of  by  legal  process. 
Shipment,  goods  shipped  ;  the  act  of  loading  a  vessel  for  voyage. 
Sight,  the  time  of  presenting  a  bill  to  the  drawee. 
Signature,  the  name  of  a  person  written  by  himself. 
Solvent,  sound  ;  able  to  pay  all  liabilities. 

Sounding,  trying  the  depth  of  the  sea  and  the  nature  of  the  bottom. 
Stock,  capital  in  trade  ;  the  title  of  the  proprietor  of  a  business. 
Stocks,  shares  in  joint-stock  companies,  and  negotiable  debts  of  governments 

and  corporations,  drawing  interest. 
Stock-jobber,  one  who  deals  in  stocks. 
Surety,  indemnity  against  loss ;  a  person  bound  for  the  performance  of  a 

contract  by  another. 


Tare,  an  allowance  or  discount  for  the  weight  of  boxes  and  other  receptacles 

of  merchandise. 
Tariff,  a  list  of  prices  ;  duties  on  imports  and  exports. 
Teller,  an  officer  in  a  bank  who  receives  or  pays  money. 


180 


ABBREVIATIONS. 


Tender,  an  offer  for  acceptance  ;  a  legal  tender  is  an  oficr  of  such  money  as 

the  law  prescribes. 
Tonnage,  the  weight  of  a  ship's  lading ;  the  capacity  of  a  vessel. 
Transfer,  to  convey  from  one  to  another. 
Trustee,  a  person  trusted  ;  one  to  whom  some  special  business  or  interest  is 

committed. 


Usance,  business  custom  or  habit  which  is  generally  conceded  and  acted  upon. 
Usury,  illegal  interest ;  formerly,  any  consideration  for  the  use  of  money. 

V. 

Vend,  to  sell  or  transfer  for  a  consideration. 

Voucher,  a  written  evidence  of  an  act  performed,  such  as  the  payment  of 
money. 

Wages,  compensation  for  services. 

Warehouse,  a  building  in  which  goods  are  stored. 

Wares,  merchandise  of  any  kind. 

Wharfage,  money  paid  for  the  use  of  a  wharf. 

Wreck,  the  ruins  of  a  ship  stranded. 

Wreckers,  persons  employed  in  saving  property  from  a  wreck. 


ABBEEVIATIONS. 


Ac't Account. 

Am't Amount. 

Ans Answer. 

Apr April. 

Ass't'd. . .  .Assorted. 
Aug August. 

Bal Balance. 

B.  B Bill  Book. 

Bbl Barrel. 

B.  Pay ....  Bills  Payable. 
B.  Rec. . . .  Bills  Receivable. 

Bl'k Black. 

Bo't Bought. 

Bro't Brought. 


Cap Capital. 

C.-B Cash-Book. 

Co Company. 

Com Commission. 

Cons't Consignment. 

Cr Creditor. 

Dec December. 

D'ft Draft. 

Do The  same. 

Doz Dozen. 

Dr Debtor. 

D's Days. 


ea... 


.Each. 


ABBREVIA  TIONS. 


181 


B.  B Errors  excepted. 

E.  &  O.  B.  Errors   and   omissions 
cepted. 

Bmb'd Embroidered. 

Bng English. 

Ex Example. 

Exch Exchange. 

Exp Expenses. 

Fav Favor. 

Feb February. 

Fig'd Figured. 

Fol Folio. 

For'd Forward. 

Fr't Freight. 

Gal Gallon. 

Hhd Hogshead. 

L  B Invoice  Book. 

Ins Insurance. 

Inst Instant. 

Int Interest. 

Inv't Inventory. 

Jan January. 

lbs Pounds. 

Ii.  F Ledger  Folio. 


Mar March. 

Mdse Merchandise. 

Mo Month. 

No Number. 

Nov November. 

Oct October. 

O.  I.  B..... Outward  Invoice  Book. 

P Page. 

Pay't Payment. 

P.  C.  B.  ...Petty  Cash  Book. 

Pd Paid. 

Pkg Package. 

Pr Pair. 

pr,  per....By. 

Prem Premium. 

Ps Pieces. 

Reo'd Received. 

S.  B Sales  Book. 

Sept September. 

Ship't Shipment. 

Sunds Sundries. 

Yds Yards. 

Yr... 

QfW  THE 


THE  END. 


Cambridge :  Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Digelow,  &  Co. 


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